Rising of the Fallen
by WintrySkies1220
Summary: Takes place after Fall of the Beasts Book 3: The Return. Meilin, Conor, Abeke and Rollan have been split. The Wyrm was awakening, and it was not happy. Rollan and Abeke, together with the Redcloaks, sail to the Place of Desolation, while Conor and Meilin are stuck underground. What will happen to the four heroes? Will they reunite and defeat the Wyrm?
1. 1 - AWAKENING

_A/N Hello guys! This is my first Spirit Animals fanfiction. I really love the series- apart from Wings of Fire- and want to share my ideas with you. Although the fourth book for Fall of the Beasts has come out, I haven't read it yet. :( But I just want to share what I fantasize would happen in the fourth book, and after that. This story is set after book three The Return, where we will meet the four heroes once again in their troubles. I hope you will all review! Happy reading!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. I recommend you read the books first, because there will be spoilers and confusing parts._**

* * *

It was awakening. Its body twitched, a pulse thrumming through its veins. Darkness embraced it as it stretched, slowly. It could sense everything around it, and even what it was in. The egg which it had grown in, tossing and turning in restless slumber.

It wanted to break through.

A light, just barely peeking through the cracks on the egg's surface. It reached out for the faint light. A growl rumbled in its throat. It sensed its minions pouring out of the crack in waves, wriggling and crawling, screaming in its mind. It sensed its _hands,_ both on the surface and underground, where it slept.

Its servants on the surface were wrecking havoc. That was pleasing. It sensed the brightness of the sun, heard the howls and screams of animals and humans alike. It sensed that one of those _hands_ was leading the others above, a particularly strong one.

But what drew its attention was its servants underground. It could sense many of them, crawling around, sniffing and hunting for more humans.

Then there was the other one. A single one of its servants, resisting its will. He was fighting with everything he had, against its minion inside him. Although he was losing, the creature was intrigued. No one had ever been able to resist its control. But this particular human did. It wondered what it was that caused the human to so desperately try to fight it.

Images flashed through its head. Emotions spread through its body. The human's fiery determination and will. The feeling to protect those that he loved. A wolf, with rather stunning cobalt blue eyes, followed by three other humans, two girls and one boy. More humans flashed across its head as it took in the emotions. Then, the whole of Erdas.

The human wanted to protect them all.

It sensed the darkness in the human's heart as well. Self-doubt, fear. A lingering hatred towards the creature. Disgust and fright. The human was afraid, and terribly sick.

What was the human's name, the creature wondered. It was slightly impressed by the human's determination. However, it was also ruffled. It did not like the feeling of having little control, even if it was over a small human. The human might eventually come to resist its control entirely.

It could sense the power in the human's body. A powerful pulse indeed.

A bright fire, burning inside him.

It will extinguish that fire. It will rip the hope out of that pathetic human's body, including his very own consciousness and mind. It will destroy him from the inside.

It wouldn't hurt to pay the human a little visit.

And besides, it was time it got out of its container. A host. The human would do just fine.

The creature was going to suck all the nutrients out of the human's body. Drink every drop of his soul. Only then will the human be able to taste true despair, the helplessness, and the pain of being forced against his loved ones.

Only then will the human finally succumb to the darkness.

What was his name again?

The creature paused.

Ah, so that was his name. A fine name indeed, for someone as strong as him.

 _Conor._

* * *

 _A/N Yep! That's the introduction guys! :3 I hope you like it! The next chapter, we go to Conor's point of view, where he is stuck in Sadre with Meilin and Takoda! What will happen then! Do review! :3 Thanks for reading guys!_

 **Reviews will make me feel more motivated, so do review! I promise to work faster!**


	2. 2 - REST

_A/N Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter! I'm glad you guys are satisfied with the previous chapter xD So in the previous chapter there was this strange... creature who somehow knows Conor?! What could it be...? But let's get on with the story! This chapter, we go to Conor himself, who is heading to the Evertree with Meilin and Takoda! What awaits them there? Happy reading! :3_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. This is purely fanfiction. Only the plot belongs to me_** _:)_

* * *

They were heading closer to the Wyrm. Conor could feel it.

A dark, sinister aura pressed at the back of his mind, soft whispers accompanying its presence. He grimaced from where he sat on the island, resting after the crazy experience with the sea eels which guarded it. The group had moved further inland to avoid the breaking waves of the Sulfur Sea, and the eels. Conor had no idea if they could jump onto shore, but he wasn't going to risk it.

Conor felt slightly guilty about the sinking of the _Meleager,_ as well as the deaths of its crew. If only he wasn't infected by the Wyrm... He could've been of _some_ use, instead of just being a burden on everyone, especially Meilin and Briggan.

The Wyrm inside him squirmed at his neck, pushing its way up towards his head. Conor winced, feeling a familiar pull at his conscience, tempting him towards the darkness lingering in his head. There were flashes of pain as he fought, trying to wrench his conscience free from the grasping claws of the Wyrm, as he had done so for the past few weeks- or was it months? He had lost track of time during the days they spent underground.

He tightened his grip on the furry scruff of Briggan, who had rested his head on Conor's lap. The wolf gazed up at him worriedly, and Conor could see his own face in his clear blue eyes. He scratched Briggan behind the ear as he stared up at the ceiling.

The roots of the Evertree were thicker where they were, but they still had a long ways to go to reach the base itself. And the Wyrm.

"Conor are you alright?" came Meilin's voice. Conor turned his head in her direction, and watched her approach with Jhi. The giant panda ambled up to him and sat down with a thump, pressing her large body against his, and began to lick at his neck. It did little to stop the Wyrm from squirming, but it eased the pain at least.

"I'm fine. Thank you Jhi." Conor replied softly, offering a tired smile at the panda. Jhi merely glanced at him for a few seconds, before turning her attention back to his neck. Meilin crouched down on his other side with a cloth in hand, dabbing at the sweat which trickled down his face. Conor hadn't even realised he had been sweating.

"Meilin, it's ok. Don't worry about me," he murmured, slightly surprised by the gentleness of the Zhongese girl. Meilin acted like she was his _mother_. It was both shocking and comforting.

"Do you need anything? Water maybe? You've been sweating a lot." Meilin ignored what he had said and pressed the back of her palm to his forehead. She was cool, and it soothed Conor's burning skin. Meilin frowned, drawing her hand back.

"I said I'm fine. Please stop fussing over me," Conor sighed, leaning back against the wall, slumped. Briggan nosed him with his muzzle, a soft whine rumbling in his throat.

"Even Briggan wants you to eat a little. You need your energy Conor," Meilin urged, her hands clenching into fists. Her eyes flickered to the Wyrm, which was now coiled at his throat, twitching every now and then. _To fight the Wyrm._

Conor sighed again, blinking tiredly at her. There was a sinking feeling of hopelessness in the pits of his stomach. He knew that there was nothing she could do to help him- perhaps ease the excruciating pain with Jhi's help, but that was it. "Please Meilin. Don't waste our supplies on me," he whispered, barely audibly.

Meilin's eyes flashed fiercely. "Don't tell me you've given up!" She hissed, glaring at him. Conor recoiled, wincing at the harshness of her tone. Of course she wouldn't agree with his words.

"But Meilin-"

"Don't you even _start_ with me," the girl snapped, cutting him off. "I _will_ save you. And I already told you that I'll stop you... if you ever succumb to the Wyrm." Her voice grew quieter at the end, a pained expression in her eyes as she gazed at him.

Conor felt numb. " _When_ I succumb, Meilin," he said faintly, absently stroking Briggan's head. Meilin grimaced at it, then turned and swiftly headed back to the campfire they had built. Takoda sat with Kovo in front of it, and the ape was urgently signing something. Takoda watched, and constantly shook his head, repeating the same sign all over again. _No._

Conor wondered what they were talking about, until he saw that Kovo was pointing at _him_. The Great Ape did several flipping motions, then pointed back to where they had came. Conor cringed, hanging his head as he understood what Kovo wanted to do.

The ape wanted to chuck him back into the Sulfur Sea and be done with him.

 _He's right in a way. I shouldn't be here. I'm just a burden,_ Conor thought, feeling sick. Briggan whimpered, as if sensing his thoughts, and turned his head back to lick at his palm. Conor smiled weakly.

"Sorry Briggan. But it's the truth," He glanced back up at his other two companions. Meilin was busy checking through their supplies, with Jhi having stopped caring for Conor and was sitting beside her. Takoda was still in a heated signing conversation with Kovo. "I'm just a burden to all of them," Conor looked back down at his wolf, and rubbed his ear. "Especially you,"

Briggan barked in disagreement, holding Conor's eyes with his own. Conor felt a sort of mental energy buzzing in his head, and his memories flashed back to the times he spent with Briggan. The wolf had been beside him, thick and thin. They had fought together, played together, and been there for one another.

And because of Briggan, Conor's life had changed dramatically, from the life of a simple shepherd, to a confident Greencloak. A leader.

Conor felt his eyes water. He didn't hold the tears back. They splashed onto Briggan's face, but the Great Wolf didn't even flinch, instead gazing at him with his tongue lolling out. "Thank you Briggan," Conor whispered, pulling his wolf closer, burying his face in Briggan's warm fur. "I'm sorry for being such a wimp."

Briggan barked again, nuzzling Conor's face, licking at him. Conor felt a warmth stir in his chest, and he smiled, pressing his forehead against his wolf's. He was conscious of the others' eyes on him as he hugged Briggan, but he didn't care. Briggan was the closest companion he had.

Fatigue set in his bones and Conor shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to show the others that he needed sleep. But even if he did sleep, he doubted it would be a peaceful one. Briggan whined, nudging Conor's waist gently, a large paw resting on his chest.

Conor looked at his wolf in surprise. Briggan _wanted_ him to sleep? He glanced at the others, and saw that only Kovo was staring at him now, his red eyes narrowed. A shudder ran up Conor's back, and he tore his eyes away, biting the inside of his cheek. Dark spots swam in his vision. Everything turned blurry, the figures of his companions doubling.

Briggan barked suddenly, and pushed Conor onto his back on the ground, the wall behind him. "B-Briggan?!" Conor yelped, struggling to sit back up. The wolf pushed a paw down on his chest again, stopping him. The wolf then began licking Conor's face, tongue rasping across his skin. Conor felt like he was being treated as a helpless pup.

He felt Briggan settle down beside him, pressing close to his side. The wolf wriggled a bit, and Conor raised his head slightly. Briggan slid under him, and Conor found the wolf resting his head on his stomach. Conor's own head rested on Briggan's flank, and the wolf draped his tail across Conor's chest.

"So you _do_ want me to sleep, don't you Briggan?" Conor murmured. Briggan's ears twitched and he let out a pleased growl, a rumble in his throat. Conor turned to his side, his back on the others, as he scratched Briggan on the head. "Thanks boy. I don't know what I would do without you," he said softly. Briggan merely closed his eyes, his tail brushing Conor's cheek, as if to tell him to keep quiet and rest.

Conor complied, closing his eyes. His hand stayed on Briggan's scruff. The wolf was a comforting presence, and it eased some of Conor's worry to know that Briggan would always be by his side. It was ironic how he and his wolf were growing closer and closer each time when the bonds between spirit animals and humans were breaking apart. But he was grateful for the time he spent with Briggan. No other spirit animal could replace the wolf.

Conor could hear the Great Wolf's heartbeat somewhere, and the rhythmic rising and falling of his breathing lulled Conor to a half-sleep.

As his consciousness drifted away slowly, Conor was dimly aware of a hand brushing his cheek, and some stray bangs. "Sleep well." A familiar voice murmured in his ear, but Conor was too tired to even think. He felt something being put over his body, and judging by its texture, it felt like a cloak.

He heard something heavy thumping on the ground beside him, and a calming presence washed over his exhausted mind. Instantly, sleep reached up to claim him, and for once Conor had a feeling that he was going to have a good rest.

* * *

Conor awoke, his eyes fluttering open. Every bone and muscle in his body pumped with energy, and he felt fresh. Alive. Conor had no idea how long it had been since he had such an amazing sleep. Briggan was nuzzling his hand, emitting soft growls. Conor felt the corners of his mouth twitch, and he smiled, watching as his wolf rubbed his head against Conor's waist.

"Hey there," he whispered, and Briggan turned his blue gaze towards Conor, his tongue lolling out in happiness. Conor scratched the back of his wolf's ears, and he saw Briggan's tail wag in delight.

Conor found a green cloak resting against his body and looked up in surprise. He gazed around the camp, and saw Jhi sitting nearby, Meilin snoring away in the panda's cuddly embrace. Jhi turned her warm silver gaze towards Conor, and a loud grunt signified that the panda was pleased to see him awake.

It was then Conor realised that Meilin's green cloak was gone. He looked down at the cloak in his hands, then back at the slumbering Zhongese girl, feeling a familiar warmth spread through his body from head to toe. He stumbled to his feet, feeling slightly woozy but otherwise still okay, and approached Meilin.

The girl looked so peaceful, it surprised Conor for a moment. Then he quickly draped the cloak onto Meilin's body, just as she had done for him. He crouched down beside her, Briggan sitting loyally at his side. Conor brushed away some of Meilin's stray hairs away from her face. "Thank you, Meilin." He whispered, watching her sleep for a moment. Then he looked away, getting back on his feet.

Takoda was sleeping as well, and Kovo stood guard beside him. It was a time for rest apparently. The ape narrowed his eyes as Conor and Briggan approached. "I just want to get something for Briggan to eat," Conor said, knowing exactly how Kovo felt about him. Briggan yipped, bounding around his feet, and Conor couldn't help but smile at his wolf's silly antics.

He spotted the bags of supplies lying near an extinguished campfire and headed over to them. He knelt down, searching for any pieces of meat Briggan might be able to eat. He stopped abruptly when his stomach grumbled at the sight of the food in the bags.

Briggan cocked his head, blue eyes worried. Conor offered a quick, strained smile. "I'm fine Briggan. I'm not very hungry," he lied, resuming his search through the bags.

Eventually Conor found some pieces of fish and dried meat for Briggan, and laid them out for the wolf to eat. But Briggan didn't move towards the food at all. Instead he nudged them back with a paw, looking at Conor with his wise cobalt eyes.

"No Briggan. Eat. I'm... fine. I already said I'm not hungry," Conor sputtered, knowing that Briggan wouldn't believe him. His stomach grumbled again, much more loudly this time. Nearby, a frown appeared on Takoda's face, and he began muttering something about an earthquake. Even Kovo seemed to be smiling, though the ape struggled not to show it.

Conor felt the heat on his face and he looked to the ground. Briggan barked at him, his eyes dancing with laughter, his tongue lolling out cheekily. "Okay, I guess I _am_ a little hungry..." he admitted. His stomach gurgled again, and Briggan seemed to grin, the corners of his lips drawn back, revealing his sharp teeth. The wolf gave Conor an amused, questioning look, as if to say: _Reeaally?_

"Alright, I admit, I'm famished." Conor sighed, clutching at his stomach. "But I'm not going to waste our supplies. It's pretty much too late for me anyway. I'm just dragging the rest of you down," He felt the same feeling of hopelssness stir in his chest as he spoke, and the Wyrm at his neck suddenly throbbed. Conor winced, tentatively touching his neck.

Briggan stared at him calmly, then proceeded to push the food back towards Conor. The look in his blue eyes very clearly said: _I won't eat until you do._

Conor sighed at his wolf's stubbornness. "Please Briggan. You need to eat too. More than me actually. I-" He was cut off when Briggan picked up a piece of fish from the ground and shoved it into Conor's mouth while he had still been speaking. A muffled cry came from Conor as he tried not to choke on the large piece of fish suddenly in his mouth.

Briggan yipped, prodding his chest with a paw. _Eat_ , the wolf seemed to say to Conor. Conor hesitated. The fish tasted heavenly in his mouth, and he struggled with his traitorous mouth, trying not to chew. But in the end his temptation won, and Conor found himself quickly chewing and swallowing. Briggan watched him carefully, then seemed pleased once the last of the fish disappeared down Conor's throat.

Conor forced himself not to go grasping for more food. "There, I've eaten. Now you eat," he said, raising a slab of dried meat towards the wolf. Briggan nudged it away with his muzzle, back towards him. "Please Briggan. I'm not hungry anymore. That fish was enough for me." Conor pleaded. It was true in a way. Due to the Wyrm inside him, Conor had lesser appetite than before, and it was gradually shrinking. Pretty soon, he knew he would have no desire to eat anymore, and his energy would drain out slowly, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from the Wyrm.

Briggan seemed to consider his reply, before biting into the meat Conor held out for him. As the wolf chewed, his hind leg scratched at the back of his head, literally like a dog. Conor scratched his ears for him, earning a heartfelt lick to his cheek.

Some minutes later, Briggan had eaten his fill, and dozed off beside Conor from where he sat next to the supplies. Conor stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment. It was only when Meilin woke up did he look back to the campsite.

"Conor! You're awake," Meilin said, a little brightly. Her black hair was so messy, it looked like withered brambles. Though Conor noticed that the weight which had been in her eyes for so long had lessened. Perhaps Jhi had helped sooth her troubles.

"Yeah, I am." Conor gave her a faint smile. Meilin peered behind him and saw the scattered supply bags.

"What happened? Did you take something Conor?" She asked, or more like _demanded._ Conor looked to Briggan, who still had his head lazily resting on his paws.

"I wanted to find Briggan some food. He made me eat some fish though," he answered softly, scratching Briggan's head. The wolf's tail wagged in response. Meilin looked relieved.

"That's good. Are you rested enough? Do you need more sleep?" She said, crouching down beside him. Conor shook his head.

"I'm fine Meilin. Honest," He held out his hands in front of him, shrugging his shoulders. Briggan nuzzled his hip and sat back up. Meilin frowned, but took a seat beside Conor.

"What were you thinking about?" She asked him quietly, and Conor gazed back at the ceiling. The Wyrm wriggled, and he fought the urge to clutch his neck.

"Do you think they're doing better, up there?" He whispered. There was no need to say who. Meilin knew who he was talking about.

"I'm sure they are. I mean, they know the lands up there. And they're strong," she replied, putting a hand on Jhi's paw. Conor saw a look of sadness cross her face.

"You want to be with Rollan don't you?" He said teasingly. Meilin's face turned rose red.

"T-that's not it..." she muttered, huffing indignantly. Conor offered her a small, tired smile, and she smiled back. That was when Takoda shifted, and sat up blearily. Kovo snorted, and much to Conor's surprise, gently touched the boy's arm. Takoda smiled at the ape, then saw Conor and Meilin watching him.

"Oh, you're all awake?" He asked, surprised.

"Of course we are," Meilin sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Takoda gave an awkward smile.

"So what do we do now?" Conor asked, looking at his companions. They gazed back at him- or more precisely, at the Wyrm at his neck. Meilin pursed her lips worriedly.

"We have to move. We've had enough rest," she said, getting up. Conor nodded wearily, getting to his feet as well. He stumbled, and Briggan leaned against him, balancing him. Conor gave his wolf a grateful smile. Meilin moved to pack up the bags, then passed a hand ax to him.

"Managed to grab this back on the _Meleager_. Use it," she said, and Conor nodded gratefully, tucking the ax in his belt around his waist. Takoda sheathed his sword, and they each grabbed a bag, though Meilin gave Conor a lighter one, with lesser supplies, despite his protests that he could carry something heavier.

"I'm not going to have you exhausted by carrying a heavier bag," she snapped. But Conor heard, _I don't want to risk losing most of our supplies when you finally run berserk._ He flinched, hanging his head. "Is something wrong?" The Zhongese girl asked, gazing at him with her anxious eyes. He shook his head, forcing himself to smile.

"I'm alright. You don't have to worry so much about me though," Conor said, and slung the bag over his shoulders. Briggan nuzzled his palm, as if to reassure him that he was still there.

"I have every right to worry about you," Meilin huffed, then called Jhi back into passive. Kovo and Takoda were already waiting for them. Conor wiped the sweat off his brows, and swallowed, gazing up at the roots of the Evertree.

"Let's go then," he murmured, taking a step forward. "To the Evertree. And to defeat the Wyrm."

* * *

 _A/N So there wasn't really anything exciting here. More bonding and stuff xD Next chapter we go to Rollan, who is with Abeke, Tasha and Kirat on board Shane's ship, sailing to the Place of Desolation! I wonder what that place is... XD Anyway, hope you liked this chapter! Thanks guys!_

 ** _Please remember to review! Reviews make me more motivated to write faster! So do review and give me your feedback! Thanks guys!_**


	3. 3 - MEETING

_A/N Hey guys! I'm back! In the previous chapter, Conor, Meilin and Takoda have a well deserved rest! And now we're moving to Rollan's point of view, where he is on board Shane's ship with Abeke, Tasha and Kirat. Who will they meet? What will they do? Happy reading! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot.**_

* * *

Rollan stared out at the sea as they sailed, feeling the salty wind through his dark hair. He took in a deep breath, trying to loosen the twisted knot in his chest. A knot of uncertainty and fear. Essix let out a shrill cry from above, and he looked up to watch her soar in the sky.

He heard soft footsteps behind him, and turned to see Abeke. The Niloan gazed at him wearily, her braided hair flying out behind her. "How are things?" She asked softly. Her fingers twitched, as if wanting to bury themselves into fur. Uraza's fur.

"Fine," Rollan felt a pang in his chest- Abeke wouldn't be able to touch Uraza's fur anymore, because Uraza was gone.

Zerif had taken her.

Rollan felt a familiar sense of rage wash over him. Zerif. The man who was threatening the peace they had fought so hard to acquire and keep, after the war. The man who was stealing the bonds between human and spirit animals, severing them completely with a kind of parasite. The man who was taking away the family Rollan treasured so much, causing Greenhaven to fall.

Reminded of family, and the parasite, Rollan wondered how Meilin and Conor were. The last time he had seen them, they had promised to return back safely, and they would see each other soon. But now they were stuck way below the earth, with Takoda and _Kovo._ Rollan couldn't trust the ape to keep them safe. Not one bit.

Conor had been infected with the parasite, he remembered. The Euran had looked so exhausted, worried, and scared, after he had shown then the mark of the parasite on his wrist. Was Conor alright? Rollan hoped he was. Out of the other three of his friends, the former shepherd was his best friend. They had spent the most time together, grieving together, laughing together, always sticking with each other. Conor was the closest person to a brother Rollan ever had.

Then there was Meilin. She was fierce, strong, and _so fun to tease._ But Rollan knew it was more than that. He knew their relationship could go deeper, further. He knew about his feelings for her, and he wondered if she felt the same. Those feelings which had made him try to get her back when she had been controlled by Gerathon and the Bile, back then during the war. He had urged her, _begged_ her to fight it. And she had. Did it mean she liked him too? Did it mean that they could be together? Were _meant_ for each other?

Rollan shook the thought from his head. There was no time to dwell on that. He had to focus. There were many things he had to do. He faced Abeke, who stared blankly at the passing landscape, her thoughts preoccupied. "Let's go down," he said gently, touching her arm. Abeke blinked, in an almost defeated manner, and nodded.

Rollan remembered himself being the same way as Abeke was now. That was when Tarik had died. The Greencloak who had been like a father to him. He had died just to save Rollan from Gar and Gerathon, back during the war.

Rollan had been crushed. It felt like he had been stabbed through himself, by Gar's sword. He had felt no hope, no point in fighting any longer. It was only because of Conor did Rollan start to fight again.

Conor, who reminded him, _told_ him, to keep fighting and pushing onwards. To continue to live, so that Tarik's death wouldn't have been in vain. Suddenly, Rollan missed the Euran's presence. And not only him. Meilin as well. He missed them both, terribly. He longed to see them again, Conor with his warm, kind smile and comforting voice, and Meilin with her snarky remarks and beautiful, _beautiful_ laugh.

Rollan looked at Abeke. The Niloan was slumped, head low, shoulders sagging. Remembering Conor's encouraging words, he cleared his throat. "Abeke," he started. "I know you're upset. Over Uraza, over everything,"

He would try to get Abeke to start fighting again.

"But now isn't the time to sulk. It isn't the time to lose the will to keep going." Abeke looked him, somewhat surprised. "I can see it. You're lonely, you're afraid, and you're on the verge of giving up," Rollan placed a hand on Abeke's shoulder, to comfort her. "You are just like me, back then when Tarik died." He found his voice wavering, and steeled himself.

Abeke opened her mouth. "Rollan..." she began. Rollan shook his head, cutting her off.

"I know how it feels Abeke. That feeling when everything is all for nothing, when it would all be so much more simpler to just give up and be done with it," He took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "But right now, you shouldn't be like that. You must keep fighting, for the greater good."

"You aren't alone Abeke. Even though Uraza... isn't here anymore," Abeke winced visibly at that, pressing a hand to her arm. Tears were pooling in her eyes. "You still have me. You have Meilin. You have _Conor_. We're all still here for you. Even though Meilin and Conor aren't here, they would want you to stay resilient." Rollan gulped. _I'm not good at encouraging people._ But at least he was trying.

"What would they say, if they saw you like this?" Abeke blinked, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Meilin... Meilin would scold me. She would nag at me, like I was a child. She would tell me to stop being so weak-hearted." She began blinking rapidly, her tears now streaming down her face.

"And Conor..." Her voice broke. "He would try to understand me. He would comfort me, and tell me that we will get Uraza back." Abeke sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

"That's right," Rollan said softly. "So keep fighting Abeke. Don't lose hope just yet. There are many battles we still have to face. As long as you keep fighting, so will I. So will Meilin. So will Conor. We will all fight alongside you,"

Abeke nodded, wiping away her tears. Rollan wordlessly handed her a napkin he had in his pocket. She took it gratefully, drying her eyes. "Thank you Rollan," she whispered, smiling tiredly at him.

 _We're all so young. And yet we have to go through so much._

"Let's go down then." He said. Abeke followed him down the hatch of the ship, dropping into the basement, where all the others were. Kirat and Tasha were there, not exchanging a single word with each other. Ninani and Cabaro were avoiding each other as well.

But it wasn't them that caught Rollan's attention. It was the large crowd of children huddled at another corner of the room.

The children were all staring at Rollan and Abeke, who stared back.

Then there was Shane, hiding his face behind his featureless mask. The former Devourer approached Rollan and Abeke. "Those children are the summoners of the other Great Beasts, having had their spirit animals taken away from them just as they had been bonded." Shane said softly, his yellow reptile eyes watching the children. "My companions and I managed to gather them, as well as a few former comrades."

That was when Rollan saw Dawson and Devin Trunswick, who were heading towards them, as well as Karmo, the tall Niloan boy. He heard Abeke gasp and reach for her bow, strapped behind her back. Shane held out a hand in front of them, shaking his head.

"They are comrades now, fighting with us for the same cause." He said.

Devin reached them first. "Why if it isn't the so-called Heroes of Erdas. How are things, being hailed as the saviours of the world?" He sneered. Karmo shot his friend a pointed look, elbowing him in the rib.

"Hey, I know you like being rude and all, but now isn't the time we should be fighting." He said, eyeing Abeke warily.

"That's right Devin. Please don't argue with them," Dawson pleaded, tugging at his brother's arm. Devin's sneer faltered, and he finally huffed, frowning instead.

"What are you even doing here?" Rollan snapped, feeling the urge to stab Devin in the face. The Trunswick boy was Conor's old... _rival,_ if Rollan phrased it in another way. Conor had been a servant to Devin back when the Euran had only been a shepherd. Before he had summoned Briggan and became a Greencloak. They had fought once, with Devin as a Conqueror.

Rollan felt that he would be doing Conor good justice if he could just punch Devin in the face. Once.

"We need all the help we can get to fight against Zerif, Rollan. Please try to understand. And Dawson was the one who summoned Rumfuss the Boar, so Devin is here to protect him, with Karmo as additional help," Shane said quietly.

Abeke turned to Dawson, who stood meekly by his brother's side. " _You_ summoned Rumfuss?" She gasped. Dawson nodded.

"Is... Is Conor here? I want to speak to him," the younger Trunswick brother squeaked, looking shy. Rollan and Abeke exchanged looks.

"Conor isn't here," Rollan said bluntly, and watched as disappointment crossed Dawson's face.

"And why is the sheep boy not here?" Devin demanded haughtily, looking smug. Rollan felt a twinge of irritation, his fists curling. He saw a look of warning on Abeke's face. _Don't._

"He's on another mission somewhere else," Rollan finally spat out. Devin raised a mocking eyebrow.

"And what 'mission' would that be? _Herding sheep_?" He scoffed, smirking. Rollan's blood boiled. How _dare_ Devin insult Conor!

"Look Devin, if you're only going to insult Conor, then you should just _leave_! I'll gladly toss you into the sea if this crisis we're facing now wasn't so important," Abeke snapped, before Rollan could, much to his surprise. A flicker of fear appeared in Devin's eyes, and he finally clammed shut, lips pressed tightly together.

"Conor's gone with Meilin to investigate the roots of the Evertree," Rollan said, watching with pleasure as Devin's jaws dropped. "So that means they're underground, doing _very important business._ That also means _you have no right to talk_ as if Conor is still your _servant_ ," He eyed Devin severely, and the boy finally had some sense not to retort.

"Look Rollan, Abeke. We're sorry for all the trouble we caused you. We'll try to cooperate as much as we can, won't we Devin?" Karmo said, nudging his friend again. Devin nodded numbly. Dawson was calling the rest of the children over.

"Guys, these are two of the heroes of Erdas. Go ahead and introduce yourselves," the boy said, nodding to the children.

A girl stepped up. She looked like a tribal villager. "Hello, my name is Kaiina. I... summoned Dinesh the Elephant," she said quietly, and Rollan saw a pang in her eyes.

Another girl stepped up, this time looking like a seafarer. "I am Cordalles, and I summoned Halawir the Eagle," she said, rather confidently.

A boy and a girl glanced at each other for a few moments. Then the boy went forward. He was surprisingly short for someone who summoned a Great Beast. "I am Grif, summoner of Arax the Ram,"

"And I am Anuqi, summoner of Suka the Polar Bear," the girl said. There was one more person, a young girl. She was watching both Abeke and Rollan observantly. Then she pulled up her sleeve, and Rollan saw the hint of an octopus tattoo, stretched all across her bicep, before there was a flash and the largest octopus Rollan had ever seen came out.

"Mulop?!" Abeke cried, her tone joyous and shocked at the same time. Rollan looked at the Great Octopus, stunned. It was _Mulop_ , the one who had helped them back in Oceanus during the war.

"Indeed. I am Lina, summoner of Mulop the Octopus as you can see," the girl said, smiling faintly. Rollan grinned at the octopus, and he waved a tentacle back, as if he was delighted to see them again.

"I am Rollan, summoner of Essix the Falcon," he introduced.

"And I am Abeke, summoner of Uraza the Leopard," Abeke said, nodding to the group of children.

"My name is Tasha, summoner of Ninani the Swan," Tasha greeted, standing up. Ninani fluttered her wings, blinking at the group.

"Kirat, summoner of Cabaro the Lion," Kirat muttered, glancing at Cabaro, who was stretched out languidly beside him.

The group of children watched them all nervously.

Then Rollan noticed something. "What about Gerathon? Where's the person who called Gerathon?" He asked, looking round. He knew Anda was the one who called Tellun, but he had no idea what had happened to the poor Amayan boy.

"Zerif used Raisha, the summoner of Gerathon, to steal all of the other Great Beasts before she even summoned her spirit animal. Now, Raisha is being controlled by Zerif himself," Shane explained. "And don't worry, Anda is on the ship with us, recovering still from his injuries. My companions managed to take him out," It was as if he had just read Rollan's mind.

"Anda is here?" Rollan gaped at Shane. It was like the former Devourer knew about everything that was happening. Shane nodded. "That's... good then," he sighed, relieved that Anda was safe.

"Our other three friends, Conor, summoner of Briggan the Wolf, Meilin, summoner of Jhi the Panda and Takoda, summoner of Kovo the Ape, are not with us here. But I am sure that we will meet up with them soon," Abeke said. Rollan could hear a twinge of uncertainty in her voice, and knew that she was daring to hope.

"Mulop is saying something," Lina suddenly spoke. The group- including Tasha and Kirat- turned their attention to the girl and her octopus. Lina crouched before Mulop, staring deep into the Great Octopus's eyes.

"Your friends are okay, all three of them," she said quietly.

"How do you know that?" Rollan demanded. Abeke put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mulop was one of the greatest seers amongst the Great Beasts, so it's no surprise that he would know of such things, isn't it?" the Niloan said. Lina nodded.

"Mulop can speak with the other Great Beasts through telepathic waves. That is also how he speaks to me. Right now, he is conversing with Briggan, Jhi and Kovo." She said, looking back at her octopus.

"Telepathy," Rollan snorted. "If only Essix knew how to do that, then maybe I would be able to know how she feels about me," Abeke smacked him playfully.

"I bet she's annoyed with you most of the time," she teased. Rollan grinned, pleased that Abeke was less distressed.

"Your friends are now heading to the roots of the Evertree," Lina reported. After a moment, her expression became one of silent horror. "Though they have seen many traumatic things, and experienced them first-hand," Her voice grew silent, still listening.

"So... they're basically living a nightmare down there?" Rollan choked out, aware of his face growing paler. Lina nodded, once. And she drew in a sharp intake of breath.

"One of your friends, the summoner of Briggan, is terribly ill. From fatigue, and from something else." She whispered. Mulop draped a long tentacle across her shoulder in silent comfort.

Rollan found his head spinning. "C-Conor...? Conor is _sick_?!" He gasped. Abeke's eyes widened, a hand flying to her mouth.

"No!" Dawson cried, clinging onto Devin's arm like it was the only support he had left. Even Devin seemed slightly stunned.

"What about Meilin? And Takoda? They're still fine right?" Abeke asked, her voice trembling. Lina nodded.

"They have not been infected," she said. Rollan heaved a sigh of relief. At least Meilin and Takoda were alright. _Meilin._ He couldn't imagine how life would be like for him if she was gone.

Lina was silent, blinking rapidly, as if she had seen something terrible. "What... what is the other thing you mentioned?" Rollan tried, gulping. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. Still, the girl kept quiet.

"There are other people, underground. The parasite Zerif uses to control humans and spirit animals alike comes from there." Lina finally said. Rollan and Abeke simultaneously gasped. _No_.

"The people... They are known as Sadreans. Almost all of them have been infected with the parasite, and turned into mindless monsters." She went on, her face paling. Mulop gurgled something, waving two of his tentacles in distress.

"The parasite... It is called the Wyrm. Your friend, Conor, has been infected by it, no?" Lina said, looking at Rollan and Abeke. Gasps came from the group of children, and Shane turned to face them, his yellow eyes round with shock. Rollan gulped, feeling his eyes began to water.

"Yes. He has," he forced out through clenched teeth. Abeke lowered her head, fists clenching.

"He won't be able to last any longer," Lina whispered ominously. Rollan's breath hitched in his throat.

"You can't be serious. Conor- he's a _fighter._ He won't submit to the... _Wyrm,_ no matter how long he has to fight," he snapped, forcing his voice not to tremble.

"He is losing the battle, Rollan," Lina murmured, putting a hand atop Mulop's bulbous head. "The Wyrm is trying to reach his forehead, just like the other people who have been controlled by it. Zerif too is being controlled by the will of the Wyrm."

"Whatever this _Wyrm_ is, Conor won't give up so easily!" Rollan cried out hoarsely. "He-he's strong. He's a _leader._ He won't let it control him," He could scarcely believe how much faith he was putting into Conor to pull through.

"The Wyrm is already nearing his head. It is at his neck, according to Mulop, who spoke to Briggan." Lina said, closing her eyes tiredly. Rollan heard Abeke give an anguished gasp, and saw a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Jhi is trying to slow down the process of the Wyrm, although Kovo is not too happy about it. And in turn, Briggan is not happy with Kovo for wanting to get rid of Conor," Lina continued.

 _That accursed ape,_ Rollan scowled. But thank Ninani that Meilin and Jhi were trying to stop the Wyrm from reaching Conor's forehead, even if it was just slowing its trek.

"And it appears that their goal has changed. Previously, they only wanted to investigate the cause of the Evertree's erosion, correct?" Lina glanced at Rollan, and he nodded in affirmation. "Well, currently, they want to _destroy_ the cause, which is the Wyrm. The Wyrm is an ancient being, old, powerful and evil, the complete opposite of the Evertree." She paused, a troubled look on her face.

"The parasites infecting the people and your friend, are only extensions of the Wyrm. They are only its minions. The real body of the Wyrm is..." She paused, looking confused. "In an egg. The Evertree's roots are cradling the Wyrm's egg. If they destroy the Wyrm, those who have been infected will be freed,"

"But there is a problem," She stopped abruptly, listening. Rollan waited, tense. Lina's words were unnerving.

"The egg has cracked, caused by the felling of the old Evertree during the war. As the egg was cradled by the Tree's roots, the destruction of the Tree caused the egg to drop and crack. That is how the Wyrm's minions are able to escape from the egg and run rampant." Lina swallowed, looking nervous.

"But that isn't the worst news," Rollan groaned, unable to believe it. Just hearing about Conor's poor health had shaken him. Now hearing about the Wyrm disgusted him even more.

"The Wyrm. The real entity..." Lina whispered, her voice hushed. Everyone waited, tensed and anxious. Lina turned her troubled eyes towards them.

"The real Wyrm has awakened,"

* * *

 _A/N Yup! Lina's just a character I created ehehe... And I had a feeling Mulop was a telepath because he could communicate with others from afar, according to Tales of the Great Beasts. Anyway, there you go guys! Now Rollan and Abeke know how bad Conor, Meilin and Takoda's situation is. Next chapter, we go to Meilin, who is still struggling towards the Evertree with Conor and Takoda! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews help motivate me, so do review and give me your feedback! I promise to work better! Thanks guys!_**


	4. 4 - PAIN

_A/N I'm back guys! Previous chapter, Rollan and Abeke learn of Conor, Meilin and Takoda's crisis! The Wyrm has awakened! This chapter, Meilin takes charge. Trouble is brewing! What will happen? Read on to find out! Happy reading!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

The island was much larger than Meilin had thought it was. Much, _much_ larger. There were cliffs, rocks, and only a few narrow paths. Mostly just lots of debris.

Meilin was annoyed by that fact. She would have preferred it if the rocks weren't in the way, and if there weren't so many cliffs. It was hard to tell where they were going. She didn't want to use Conor to sense the Wyrm, so their only other guideline was the direction the roots of the Evertree stemmed from.

The roots of the Evertree in the ceiling stretched all the way to as far as she could see. They were walking through a path which was bordered by looming cliffs and more rocks. Sometimes Meilin would trip over a few stones if she wasn't careful. Other times, she had to jump over rocks in order to proceed. It was just _annoying_.

Conor was behind her with Briggan, with Takoda and Kovo at the rear. And she could tell that they were miserable.

Takoda was faring well, with the aid of Kovo, but Conor was having a lot of trouble. At times he would trip over a few pebbles and crash to the ground, causing the group to stop and help him back to his feet. When they had to climb over larger rocks, Conor could barely push himself up, instead just leaning weakly against the face of the stone. Briggan would try to urge him forwards, but every time the Euran tried, he just couldn't get across.

So it resulted in Kovo having to carry him over.

Meilin could tell that the ape wasn't too happy about having to help Conor, but he did it anyway. She wondered if it was only because Takoda asked him to.

They had to stop frequently too, as Conor was getting tired more easily as they progressed. Currently, they were taking one of their short stops. Conor was slumped against the cliff side, taking in deep shuddery breaths, with Briggan whimpering beside him, licking at his face. The Wyrm was slowly creeping up his neck, the tip of it already squirming around his jaws, near his lips.

Takoda was once again engaged in a heated conversation with Kovo. The ape looked enraged, stomping his feet and slamming his fists against the floor.

Meilin called for Jhi, who appeared in a flash of light and ambled over to Conor immediately. She watched her panda work her powers, but the strain in Conor's face didn't lessen. Instead, he seemed to stiffen even more, slinking away from Jhi.

"Conor, are you alright?" She asked worriedly, reaching for her friend. He didn't answer, instead flinching away from her, his blue eyes flickering. Meilin felt dread gnaw at her chest as her friend squeezed his eyes shut, clutching at his head, emitting low strangled sounds.

Briggan whined pitifully, staying near Conor- but not too near. The wolf seemed afraid, his cobalt eyes dark with panic.

Conor suddenly broke out into shudders, convulsing. Jhi stumbled away, warily watching him as he pulled his legs closer to him, covering his head with his hands. He had curled himself up into a tight ball, his body trembling violently. Garbled words flew from his mouth, and he fell to his side.

" _Conor_!" Meilin cried out, wanting to help her friend. A hand grabbed her arm- a large, thick hand, joined to a large furry arm.

Kovo.

The ape let out a grunt, forcibly pulling her back, his crimson eyes narrowed to slits. Takoda was at Meilin's side, watching silently as Conor struggled against the Wyrm.

A scream escaped Conor's tightened lips, his pupils dilating, the blue in his eyes fading slowly.

"Let me go you insufferable ape!" Meilin snapped, thrashing against Kovo's hold. She had to get to Conor. He needed her. _Conor needed her._ She couldn't let him go. Not yet.

 _He can't fall now._

Kovo's grip around her arm tightened, and he yanked her back, sending her crashing to the other cliff. Meilin staggered, and glared defiantly at the ape as Takoda hissed at him not to hurt her.

 _Conor is the one hurting, not me._

Another scream came, filled with pain and fear. Conor writhed on the ground, his hands tight around his head, covering his eyes. More screams echoed through the air. "Conor, _no_! Fight it, please!" Meilin begged, her voice wrecked with sobs, as she rushed to her friend, only to be stopped once again, this time by Jhi.

The panda shook her head at Meilin, her silver eyes saddened. "Jhi, please do something! Help him please!" Meilin sobbed, staring at her panda desperately. But Jhi made no movement to help Conor, instead pressing closer to Meilin, obstructing her path. "What are you doing Jhi?! Help him!" She cried, feeling a familiar rage sputter in her chest, rekindled by her helplessness. She couldn't do anything to help Conor.

The Euran screamed, even louder, tossing and turning on the ground, his body spasming and thrashing uncontrollably.

Meilin watched helplessly. _Why does this keep happening to those I love?_

 _Conor doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve to be in so much pain._

She sobbed, her eyes watering up, and the tears freely flowed down her cheeks. Takoda blinked his eyes rapidly, his mouth set on a grim line as he hesitantly reached for his sword, his fingers curling around the hilt. Briggan whimpered mournfully, scraping at the ground with his paws, unsure whether to go to Conor's side. Meilin clenched her fists, biting her lower lip, her vision blurred by the tears.

 _Why couldn't it have been me?_

Rollan's and Abeke's faces flashed through her mind, followed by Tarik's, and then her father's. Her other friends, her comrades. So many people she cared for. They were all slowly dying, being killed off one by one. Tarik and her father were already gone. Many of her subordinates and friends had been killed as well.

And now Conor. She couldn't let it happen. She _wasn't_ going to let it happen. She wasn't going to let Conor succumb to the Wyrm.

" _Conor_! Fight it! _Fight_ it! Please!" She pleaded. Conor shuddered, and she saw him give her the slightest glance, through his fingers on his face.

Meilin froze at the conflict in his eyes. They were flickering between black dilated pupils and his warmer human gaze. There was so much pain in them, so much fear and hopelessness. And lingering under all those emotions was a hungry, monstrous glare.

"Remember how much time we spent together?!" She tried. She had to help him, even if it was just helping him remember their journey in the war. "Remember how I got mad at you for giving away the Iron Boar? How I went away to Zhong because of that, and left all of you?" She saw a spark of recognition in Conor's changing eyes, tears pooling in them. She was reminded of how Rollan had helped her, when she was controlled by the Bile.

"Remember how you and Abeke helped to get the banana gourds to cure Rollan? And how I finally forgave you for your actions?" The tears were streaming down his face now. Conor howled loudly, wails of agony following after. Meilin found herself wailing too, out of desperation.

"Remember when I was controlled by the Bile? How I fought against it? And how you still supported me despite knowing that I could attack any of you?" Meilin swallowed, choking down another sob. "Please fight it Conor! Like how I fought the Bile! I'm still here. So is Abeke! So is _Rollan_!" Images of her friends, laughing, smiling and crying joyously after the war filled her head. Meilin hoped Conor was remembering the same thing.

"You're one of my family," she sobbed, dropping to her knees. "Please Conor."

Conor writhed, his anguished cries growing softer. His body convulsed, once, twice, before it stopped. His arms grew slack, landing on the ground beside him with a thump. His chest heaved heavily, the ground stained with his sweat, his blond hair matted to his forehead. His eyes were squeezed shut, his breaths coming out ragged and shallow.

"Conor...?" Meilin whispered, inching towards her friend. No one stopped her. Briggan was already at his side, feebly licking at his eyes, soft whimpers in his throat, as if urging Conor to open them. Meilin lifted Conor's head and laid it on her lap, her hand on his where it lay on his stomach.

"Conor, wake up," she choked out, her breath hitching in her throat as she brushed away some stray bangs off his sweaty face. Conor's eyelids flickered, and opened them slowly, gazing up into her own brown eyes. They were blue.

His warm, beautiful blue eyes. He was still _Conor._

 _Thank Ninani,_ Meilin thought, sobbing with relief.

"Of course I remember," Conor rasped softly, giving her one of his warm, comforting smiles, even though it was strained. She smiled back, tears dripping down her face. "I remember everything. Thank you Meilin," A look of sadness appeared on his face as he slowly shifted into a sitting position. "I'm sorry,"

Briggan pounced on him, vigorously licking at his face. Conor wrapped his arms around his wolf, burying his fingers in his scruff. Jhi came forward and licked him too.

Conor lay against the cliff wall, limp and exhausted, closing his eyes once more and giving in to sleep. Briggan pressed against his side, nuzzling the boy's shoulder with his muzzle. Meilin dabbed at the sweat on Conor's face. Takoda settled down with a huff, looking relieved. Even Kovo merely gave a snort and sat down.

"We ought to make camp now," Takoda suggested, setting his pack on the ground. Meilin nodded, leaving Jhi to tend to Conor. Her eyes strayed to the Wyrm, where it was coiled on his jaw, nearing his cheek. She grimaced.

The Wyrm would soon control him. They had no more time to lose.

Takoda saw it too, and glanced at her grimly. "We'll have to move faster, don't we?" He whispered, gazing up at the Evertree's roots. Meilin swallowed.

"Yes. But..." Her eyes went over to Conor's limp form, worried. She didn't want to rush him. Rushing him might mean losing him faster. Takoda noticed her worry and sighed, taking out a few pieces of stale bread.

"Eat. We can discuss this-" He was cut off by a rumbling overhead. There was a ghastly, moaning sound, like a cry of pain. Meilin glanced up sharply, and saw the thick roots above begin to tremble. _Oh no-_

And the pain came.

Indescribable pain and agony, tearing at her muscles, her bones, her very _soul._ Meilin crumpled to the ground, tears springing to her eyes despite trying to hold them back. Around her Takoda had fallen, Kovo roaring in anguish. Jhi had collapsed, her silver eyes wide with pain. Briggan was howling in an agonized manner, his blue eyes wild and more wolf-like.

Conor's scream was what got her attention. It was shrill and loud, echoing emptily beside her as the boy awoke to the excruciating, mind-numbing pain. He thrashed on the ground once more, and through her hazy vision, Meilin saw the Wyrm begin to move...

His screams intensified, going an octave higher, even louder. It rang in her ears as she felt her bond with Jhi stretch till it felt like it was hanging only by a single thread. _Jhi!_ Meilin's tears streamed down her face as she tried to fight the pain, tried to get to her feet. Tried to reach her spirit animal as Jhi bellowed, low and loud in pain. The panda landed on the ground with a thump, unable to get up. Takoda was shuddering, tears staining his face. Kovo beat at his chest madly, savagely, his crimson eyes dilated with fury and pain.

Briggan whimpered on the ground beside the thrashing Conor, failing to get on his paws. The wolf looked like a young pup, yet to learn how to walk. Meilin grasped her quarterstaff, which lay beside her after she had set it down, and tried to get to her feet.

Forcing herself to move to Jhi.

 _Why was the pain lasting even longer than before?_

She heard a louder rumble, and more pain descended upon her body, crushing her slowly. Jhi began bellowing again, rolling onto her back, limbs splayed out. Kovo crashed to the ground, baring his sharp teeth, eyes wild and crazed with pain. Briggan was howling again, almost as if he was howling to the moon. Their spirit animals were all becoming less like spirit animals and more like beasts of nature.

Takoda was crying, his body a writhing ball on the ground beside Kovo. Meilin herself couldn't find the strength to get up anymore. And Conor...

Conor had stopped screaming. Even stopped moving entirely.

Fear stabbed through Meilin's chest. _No!_ Conor couldn't have succumbed. He _couldn't_ have. Meilin desperately tried to reach for the motionless, seemingly _lifeless_ boy. Her fingers grasped for him as she struggled against the pain. Her body screamed at her movements, her muscles feeling like they were about to tear.

Then the pain suddenly lessened, and Meilin could finally breathe. She took in deep gulps of air, her lungs burning, her muscles finally relaxing. Slowly but surely, the pain faded away, and she lay gasping on the ground, her mind feeling hazy. She could barely feel Jhi anymore. The panda let out a low groan and Meilin forced herself to crawl to her, grasping her fingers into her thick white fur.

She heard Takoda whimpering, and saw him leaning against Kovo. The ape was hugging him fiercely, and for the first time he looked almost _defeated_.

Only Conor didn't move. Briggan shakily got to his feet and staggered over to the boy, nudging him gently, letting out a mournful whine.

Meilin stumbled to her feet, feeling her strength return to her body, and dragged herself over to her friend, collapsing on the ground beside him. Jhi moved after her, reaching Conor, and began licking his head.

Meilin gasped when she saw Conor's expression, and she desperately pressed an ear to his chest. He looked petrified, his head turned to the side, his eyes wide and glazed, a thin trail of saliva dribbling down his chin from his lips. He looked like he had just seen a monster, and was so shocked that he had fallen unconscious. Meilin held her breath, hoping to hear the heartbeat that would indicate that Conor was still alive and well.

At first, there was nothing, and she strained to listen harder. Then there was a soft, faint thump. It began slowly then sped up a little, growing steadier and stronger. Meilin cried out in relief.

Conor was alright. He was _alright._ Meilin had never felt so relieved. He had probably passed out from the pain.

 _Who wouldn't? It was so heavy... And there's the Wyrm too._ Meilin found herself staring at the coil of black, which now rested on the bottom-half of his cheek. A prickle of dread sent shivers up her spine. It was still twitching. Perhaps it had travelled enough for the day.

 _Conor doesn't deserve to suffer like this. He's an innocent, young boy. Why must this happen to him, to experience double the pain?_ Meilin wiped her eyes, telling herself not to cry anymore.

Takoda had crawled over to them, and was staring at Conor, his eyes wide with shock and fright. Kovo grumbled, shaking his head.

Briggan still continued to emit his low, grieving whimpers and whines as he licked Conor's face in a futile effort to wake him up. The boy didn't even stir. Jhi looked sympathetically at the wolf, and gave him space, so that he could lie down beside Conor.

Briggan stretched his long body across Conor's, shielding him from everyone else except for Jhi. Meilin reached over to close Conor's vacant, staring eyes, and wiped away the saliva on his chin. She closed his mouth, then took off her cloak and folded it to put as a pillow for him.

There was a long silence. Then Takoda spoke, his voice trembling, his face gaunt and exhausted. "As I was saying, we should set up camp."

Meilin couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

 _A/N Ahahaha... So yeah, the Evertree is more sick, and Conor is losing against the Wyrm... This chapter was more of, uh, the 'pain' stuff... So ahem! Next chapter we go to Abeke, who is going to know more about the other summoners of the Great Beasts! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews help me update faster, so do review and give me your thoughts! I hope you all still enjoy the story!_**


	5. 5 - ONE ANOTHER

_A/N Hey guys! Back with another chapter! Things will be more interesting now I promise! In the previous chapter, Meilin, Conor and Takoda suffer from pain! Dx This chapter goes to Abeke, and she will be bonding with the new summoners! Happy reading guys!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Abeke stared at Rollan, who lay crumpled on the ground, Essix at his side shrieking loudly. Tasha and Kirat were also on the ground, moaning in pain, their spirit animals shuddering. Lina was experiencing the same thing as them, her eyes dark and glazed from pain. _The Evertree._

She hurried to help Rollan to his feet once the Amayan seemed to relax, taking in deep gulps of air, his eyes blank and dazed. "Are you alright?" She asked anxiously, putting a supportive hand on his shoulder to steady him. Rollan swayed, running a hand through his hair and spiking it up.

"I'm fine," he breathed out, and crouched down beside Essix, who was preening her ruffled feathers. He crooned softly, and Essix nuzzled his hair in response, her amber eyes bleak. Abeke felt a stab of jealousy at their actions, wishing silently that Uraza would come back.

She unknowingly reached out, searching for her bond with her leopard, then realised that there was no bond. Uraza had been taken from her.

Uraza was gone.

Abeke bit down the sobs rising in her throat as she remembered the cold, distant look Uraza had given her when Zerif controlled her with the Wyrm. She had attacked her immediately, following that oily man's bidding.

It hurt so much. Abeke felt like she had lost a part of her soul. Uraza hadn't recognised her. It was like they had never met, never had their adventures together.

Rollan saw her then, gazing into the distance, her expression broken. He stood up, Essix hopping onto his shoulder, and touched Abeke's arm reassuringly.

At least, it was meant to be reassuring. Abeke didn't want anyone's pity. Especially not Rollan's. He would never understand how she felt. "We'll get Uraza back. I promise. So please don't shut everyone out. Don't be like me," he whispered softly, squeezing her shoulder.

Abeke hesitated. It was unusual for Rollan to be so worried. But then again, she hadn't been herself after Uraza had been taken. _We will all fight alongside you._ Rollan had said that. Rollan, the cheeky, quick-witted city boy with his sharp tongue. He wasn't exactly an orphan anymore, now that he had found his mother, Aidana, and she had wanted him back. He had changed so much, after Tarik's death, and now this. He was more serious, more... _open_ with everyone, instead of being secretive of his feelings.

Then there was Meilin. The Zhongese girl had used to be more arrogant and cold. But now she had changed; more compassionate, more warm, and more aware of her actions and words. She became someone who was fierce, stern, yet caring, perhaps gaining that touch from her bond with Jhi. Not to mention that she became Abeke's best friend, despite their mistrust in the past.

Finally there was Conor. The kind, gentle shepherd, his loyalty going to no end. Back then, he had been timid, shy, and had always been uncertain about his abilities. Then he too changed, becoming a confident young boy. He only became aggressive when need be, unlike Meilin. He was trustworthy, and leaded with the fierce intention to protect them, to guide them on the right path. To be completely honest, Abeke thought that Conor had changed the most.

These people were Abeke's family, and even though she desperately wished for her father and sister to be alright, she wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to the three either. So in order to protect them, she had to fight. She couldn't waste time moping on her loss. Uraza was counting on her. Conor and Meilin, wherever they were, were also counting on her. The whole of Erdas _needed_ her.

Abeke gave Rollan a grim nod, a renewed vigour flaring in her chest. Rollan smiled with relief, and reached up to stroke Essix's smooth feathers. The falcon gave an involuntary shiver as the air grew chilly, and apparently decided to stay where she was. Tasha, Kirat and Lina were already back on their feet, helped up by the other children.

Shane came up, gazing around for a moment. Abeke stared at him, feeling a twinge of suspicion. Even though he was helping them in their task, she couldn't help but feel wary of him. She still didn't want to forgive him for using her.

The former Devourer caught her gaze and blinked at her through the slits on his mask. Then, wordlessly, he stepped aside, allowing a hunched figure to pass him. Abeke gasped.

It was Anda. He stood miserably on the deck of the ship, pale and pitifully thin. His eyes lit up for a moment when he saw Abeke and Rollan, but then the light disappeared, replaced by a look of loss. He was obviously remembering Tellun, his spirit animal, and how Zerif had taken him away.

Shane put a hand on Anda's shoulder, a gentle touch, and nodded to the group. "This is Anda, summoner of Tellun the Elk. He was badly injured while trying to stop Zerif from taking Tellun, and that was why he was unable to meet you earlier. Spend some time with each other. Come down once you're done. We've prepared something for you to do on this journey," He gave Abeke a final glance, before disappearing back down the hatch with a swish of his red cloak.

There was a silence.

"Well, then." Rollan coughed, his tone awkward. All eyes turned to him. "I suppose we should do as... _King_ says and get to know more about each other," 'King' was Shane's codename, and he was the leader of the Redcloaks.

Abeke gestured for Anda and the boy meekly went over to her. She gave him a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're alright. And I'm sorry," she murmured, pulling away. Anda sniffled, blinking rapidly to push back his tears. "I know how it feels to lose your spirit animal Anda,"

Anda seemed momentarily surprised, realisation dawning on him. His eyes flickered to Abeke's arm, where Uraza's tattoo was supposed to be. But, of course, the tattoo was nowhere to be seen. He inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Abeke shook her head, smiling sadly.

"It's alright. But right now we have to focus. We have to fight. Tellun and the other Great Beasts are counting on all of us," She gave him an encouraging smile, and he smiled back, the light in his eyes returning.

"So," Rollan said, after giving Anda a small wink. "Let's get started. Would anyone like to volunteer themselves first?" When he got no response, Rollan shrugged. "Then I suppose I'll go first."

Abeke listened as Rollan began telling the others more about himself- where he was from, what he did before he called Essix, and a few of their adventures, adding a touch of humour in his speech. That managed to coax a few laughs out of the children. They were all seated in a circle, with Essix, Mulop, Ninani and Cabaro staying near their partners.

"I didn't think Conor would look good in a skirt. Perhaps it's because he still looked like an innocent child back then," Rollan was saying. There were a few giggles from the girls. "Oh and there was that other time when I was sick with the Sunset Death in Zhong. Meilin was the one who took care of me while Conor and Abeke," he shot Abeke a sly look. "Went to search for the cure."

"Meilin was surprisingly gentle with me. She took care of me like I was a baby." Abeke noticed a strange wistful expression on Rollan's face as he recounted their experiences. _He must miss Meilin._ She also realised that the Amayan was slipping in some bits and pieces of how Conor and Meilin were like, in the absence of the two. _I should do that too,_ Abeke thought.

Rollan talked a little about Tarik, mostly about how he had been a wonderful mentor. He also added the time when the old Greencloak had tried singing to convince himself to eat seal brains back in Arctica.

Eventually, Rollan was done, though Abeke could see barely surpressed questions on the tips of some of the children's tongues. Dawson, who was curious about their adventures, wasn't so careful though. "Conor really did wear a skirt?" The Trunswick boy squeaked out, repressed laughter in his voice. Devin and Karmo had gone down to help Shane, so he was free to do what he liked, and that included asking questions. Rollan raised an eyebrow amusedly.

"Let's just say that it was a kilt. But it was still a skirt. And he did wear it. He even fought in it. I had no idea someone could actually look so ridiculous. The image of Conor in a green skirt, fighting with a stick, will take a long time to leave me," he chuckled. Dawson laughed cheerily, a goofy grin on his face. It lifted Abeke's spirts slightly to see that Rollan was trying his best to get rid of the sullen mood on the ship.

Yet she could see the pang in Rollan's eyes as he talked about Conor. No doubt he was worried about the condition of the Euran. "Now, I believe I've spoken enough. Your turn Abeke," Rollan nudged her with his elbow, and she nodded, facing the group.

Abeke looked at all of them for a moment, taking in their expressions. She noted that Dawson wasn't the only one curious. Kaiina, Cordalles, Tasha and Anda were looking at her eagerly. Grif and Lina looked mildly interested. Both Anuqi and Kirat kept their faces perfectly straight.

"As you all know, I am Abeke," She began, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "I was born in Nilo, in the village of Okaihee. My father is the current cheiftain of Okaihee, Pojalo, while my sister is called Soama, who is older than me." She paused. Kirat seemed to be showing more emotion now.

"I used to be one of the best hunters in my village, before Uraza came to me. Back then, our village was thirsty. There was a terrible drought which had lasted for days on end. When I summoned Uraza, it miraculously rained." She smiled, remembering the moment when her fellow villagers had so happily cheered at the rain.

"Wow," she heard Kaiina gasp, and felt her insides grow warm at the memories. "I was named as our village's much needed Rain Dancer, and I thought my father would finally be proud of me. That is, until the Conquerors came and took me away,"

Startled gasps came from the children. "You were _taken_ by the _Conquerors_?" Anuqi blurted out, before slamming her lips shut again. Abeke glanced at her, confused as to why the Ardu girl wanted to avoid talking to her and Rollan as much as possible. Anuqi spoke fine with the others, especially Grif, but she seemed to dislike being around Greencloaks.

"That's right. At first I thought I was on the good side, until we went to get Arax's talisman in northern Amaya. Zerif," Abeke scowled at the name. "Killed a Greencloak who helped me, even though I was his enemy. By a _backstab_ ," She watched as a ripple of anger ran through the other children. Rollan had clenched his fists into balls of fury.

"After seeing this, I went to join the Greencloaks, and helped them get the Granite Ram."

"What was it like being with the Conquerors then?" Cordalles asked curiously. Apparently, Abeke's story was more interesting than Rollan's.

Abeke smiled. "Well, I had a friend back then. He was the first friend I had in my new environment. Everyone had been friendly to me, but I guess that was because I was the summoner of Uraza. He was the only one who seemed comfortable with me..." Her voice grew softer, a familiar curtain of rage falling over her. _Shane._

"Who was he?" Tasha asked, and Abeke could hear a tone of dread in her voice.

"... I'd rather not talk about it," Abeke sighed, slumping. She knew Tasha would know who Shane was- he was meant to be the king of Stetriol. But she didn't want to say it, as Shane was on the same ship as they were. "But he did betray me in the end, using our friendship," She kept quiet, seeing the looks of horror on the other children's faces.

"Anyway, I'll tell you guys about some of the other adventures we had..." Abeke found herself recounting almost every single experience she had with her friends. Their journey to Glensgavin in northern Eura while searching for Rumfuss. "Conor _did_ look silly in that skirt of a kilt," she laughed.

She told about their journey in Zhong, how she and Conor went to get the banana gourds to cure Rollan. How they found the crocodiles which had been fed the Bile, and how they eventually found the gourds in the end. They went to Dinesh's temple, reuniting with Meilin who had gone off earlier, and the Great Elephant helped them- Kaiina seemed to brighten up at that.

Then when she came to their adventure in Arctica, Anuqi seemed to stiffen, her eyes growing dark. "The Ardu welcomed us warmly, but after we mentioned Suka, they... became less friendly." Abeke said, carefully watching the emotions on the Ardu girl's face.

"Uraza helped me find the Ice City, which was where we found Suka. The Great Polar Bear was... encased in ice. We had intended on taking the talisman without waking her up but... it didn't work out so well. Suka broke out, angry at us."

"There was a great battle. We almost died, and we were lucky to get out alive at all. But the palace Suka was in was destroyed in the fight," Abeke gazed at Anuqi sadly, and the girl seemed to flinch when she realised the conversation was mostly directed at her. "And for that we are sorry. Anuqi, I know you're still mad at us for nearly destroying your home. Not only you, but the rest of your tribe,"

Eyes turned to look at the Ardu girl. Anuqi lowered her gaze, keeping silent. "Well, technically, _we_ didn't destroy the palace. That was Suka's doing. Jhi managed to calm her before more damage could be done," Rollan offered. Abeke shot him a glare. _Don't push the blame on Suka._ They were also at fault. Rollan saw her glare and sighed. "But I guess it was our fault too. We're really sorry," He quieted.

Anuqi seemed to be struggling with her emotions. Abeke could see she was wondering whether to forgive them. "I apologise for Meilin as well. I know that if she was here, she would have apologised herself," She said. Rollan nodded.

"The same for Conor. He's the kind of guy who would feel guilty over the littlest of things and not forget it until forgiven. So, I apologise for him,"

"And Maya," Abeke whispered softly, apologising for the bright, redheaded girl who had been with them. She glanced at Rollan. The Amayan took in a deep breath.

"And Tarik," His voice wavered, and he bit his lip. He was apologising for someone who was dead.

Anuqi inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Everyone waited for her response. Then she opened her eyes again, a strange emotion on her face. "Alright. I forgive you. Once this whole incident is over, I'll... tell my tribe that you are sorry and that you hadn't meant for our palace to be destroyed, or for Suka to awaken," She offered a small smile.

Abeke heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you Anuqi," The Ardu girl merely nodded back.

"Now, could you continue?"

* * *

Once Abeke was done, the others began introducing themselves, and telling what kind of life they had before they summoned their respective spirit animals.

And when Dawson's turn came, he revealed that he was the one who asked Conor for the Iron Boar talisman. "He had looked so stunned," the younger Trunswick brother whispered remorsefully. "I felt really bad for him. He looked like he was struggling with himself on whether to give me the talisman or not. I-I could've at least helped. Perhaps I could've freed his mother for him,"

"It's okay Dawson. Conor would understand. He always does. He's a big mushy lump of forgiveness after all," Rollan chuckled. Dawson giggled, looking relieved.

Kirat told that he was the nephew of Tarik, even though he had never met the old Greencloak. "Based on what I keep hearing about my uncle," the young boy said, casting a glance at Cabaro, who was lounging beside him. "It seems that he was a very powerful and influential leader."

"Of course he is. He's..." Rollan grew quiet, the shadow of grief on his face. Abeke put an arm around his shoulders. The Amayan still hadn't gotten over Tarik's death. Even Essix seemed to be looking at her partner pitifully.

"I would like to be like him. Not as a Greencloak, but as a leader of Nilo," Kirat said, rather smugly. Rollan frowned, and Abeke felt a sense of disappointment.

Tasha revealed that she was from Stetriol. That earned many gasps from the children. "How is Stetriol like?" Cordalles asked enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming. Tasha smiled, stroking Ninani's pure white feathers.

"Beautiful, joyous, and alive. It has changed after the war, from a desolate, rugged island to something new." A wistful expression appeared on her face. "I wish to go back home soon," Abeke knew that feeling of home sickness. She desperately missed Okaihee, with the powerful sun beating on her skin, the beautiful golden sand whipping past her legs, and the faces of her family.

She also missed the fallen Greenhaven. It was her second home.

Rollan seemed to be thinking the same thing, tilting his head to the skies, that same wistfulness on his face. All the other children seemed to be experiencing home sickness as well.

All except Dawson.

The Trunswick boy was staring at his hands quietly, a sadness on his features. Abeke didn't want to ask why.

Anuqi and Grif happened to have met each other through a certain someone, though they wouldn't say who, only that the person was a girl. That very girl was on board the ship. "She won't reveal herself to you. She has a... thing against Greencloaks," Grif admitted. Anuqi smacked him sternly, as if he wasn't supposed to say that.

Kaiina was a tribal villager, and on the day she summoned Dinesh, she had been officially allowed to leave the village on her own. "It was so exciting. At first I wanted to do some exploring, but my family wanted me to help buy some things, so I went to the market. It was my first time trying to bargain and barter," she said, smiling a little.

It turned out Cordalles was indeed a seafarer. "I love going to new places. I especially love meeting new people and making new friends. It's always so thrilling to go from one place to another. I often dreamed of being able to go out on my own, but my parents just don't _trust_ me enough. And they say they do!" the girl scowled, crossing her arms.

Anda told that he was from a tribe from northern Amaya, and that he was the village healer. "I never really liked fighting. I'd rather harmony. But my father... doesn't think that a boy should be a healer," He sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Hey, Meilin's quite similar too. In Zhong, she says that girls shouldn't be in the army, and that includes her, even though she's got talent in combat." Rollan said, trying to cheer Anda up.

"Her father encourages her though. And your mother does too, doesn't she Anda?" Abeke said, smiling. Anda smiled back.

"Yes she does. She says that it doesn't matter what I become, as long as I'm happy and safe," he said.

Lina was last. "I am from Oceanus. I'm actually one of Queen Kalani's closest friends," She smiled. Abeke brightened. _Kalani!_ The young queen was also their friend. Abeke wondered what happened to her.

Lina's gaze slid to Rollan. "I heard that you are _tapu_ Rollan. Is that true?" She asked cautiously. Rollan stiffened visibly. Then he grinned crookedly, in a nervous manner.

"Yeah I suppose I am. No idea how to cleanse myself though," he said. Lina didn't react in any sort of way. She only smiled.

* * *

"So do you guys have any other questions for any of us?" Rollan asked. They had finally finished getting to know each other. Abeke felt her cramp legs. She had no idea how long they had sat there but it felt like hours. Even Essix and Ninani had gone flying together a bit. Cabaro had merely stretched and continued dozing, while Mulop had slipped into the seas below for a short swim. The animals were all back now though.

"Could you tell us about Conor and Meilin?" Cordalles asked.

"In Stetriol, the people know them as Meilin the strong, and Conor the gentle." Tasha offered.

"Well, you aren't wrong about that." Rollan snorted, grinning his lopsided grin. "But it's funny how you call Abeke brave, me fierce, and Meilin strong, while Conor is the softy, even though he's our leader,"

"Meilin isn't your leader?" Kirat frowned, almost in disapproval.

"Meilin... Well I suppose she _is_ bossy most of the time, but she's the warrior of our group. I'd say she's better at fighting. Conor's the one who makes the big decisions and guides us along the way," Abeke admitted, catching the amused look on Rollan's face and burst out laughing.

"Hey Meilin isn't that dumb either. She's a strong woman. She'd beat you to a pulp if she was here Abeke," He chuckled. Abeke giggled, knowing that fact very well.

"I thought you needed strength to be a true leader," Kirat said. Abeke stared at him, feeling a frown crease her face.

"Sometimes strength isn't the only thing that's important in order to lead," She shook her head at him. Rollan nodded in agreement.

"Conor's actually pretty strong himself. He was a shepherd, after all. A guardian. He may be kind and gentle, but he can be aggressive at times, especially when the lives of those he cares about are at stake," the Amayan added. Kirat furrowed his brows.

"So in order to be a leader, you need compassion and generosity as well?" He asked.

"Also a sense of justice, humility and responsibility. Conor is all of those things," Rollan smiled sadly. "Tarik was too,"

Kirat went silent, looking thoughtful. _Maybe he really does want to be the best leader he can._ Abeke thought.

"Meilin is more... fearsome. She's barely afraid of anything. You could say she's our sword and shield," Abeke said. Rollan nodded at her again.

"Sorry to interrupt," came a feminine voice. The group turned to see a girl standing there, a cat mask on her face. Abeke recognised her as Shadow. "But are you done with your chatting session?"

"We'll talk about Conor and Meilin another time," Rollan said, then turned to Shadow. "All done,"

Shadow bobbed her head, the black eyes behind her mask blinking. "King has called for you. Come, follow me," She turned and slid down the hatch once more.

Abeke glanced at Rollan, wondering if he would follow. He shrugged as he caught her eye. "Might as well. Come on guys," He got back up and stretched a bit, before following Shadow down the hatch. Abeke went too, followed by the rest of the children.

They followed Shadow down, and she entered a room, gesturing for them to come in. Shane stood at a corner nearby, perking up when they came in.

"Ah, you're finally here." He said, nodding. Devin and Karmo were beside him, talking between each other.

"What's going on? What is this place?" Abeke asked in bewilderment, gazing around the room. It was rather large and spacious, with weapon racks near the walls. There were sacks of sand, weights, and many other objects. It reminded Abeke faintly of the training room in Greenhaven.

Shane looked at her, his crocodile eyes glinting beneath his plain mask. "Now that you are all bonded, you will have to learn how to fight as a team. You will be training,"

* * *

 _A/N So that's it guys! Mostly more bonding between the group. Next chapter is Tasha's point of view, where she trains with the others! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews help me work faster, so do review and tell me your thoughts! Everything(except flames) is appreciated! Thanks guys!_**


	6. 6 - TRAINING

_A/N I'm back guys! So in the previous chapter, Abeke learns more about the group. And apparently there's a training room in the ship! XD Now we go to Tasha, who will learn how to fight in a team. How will they do? Happy reading!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Tasha stared around the large training room in awe. Ninani ruffled her feathers beside her, and she reached down to brush the swan's slender neck. She looked back up to see Abeke and Rollan talking with King, the mysterious Redcloak with the faceless mask. She wondered what they were talking about.

Abeke gestured for her then, and Tasha went forward. Ninani trailed after her, moving gracefully across the wooden ground. "Yes?" She asked once she approached, blinking at Abeke, Rollan and King.

"We will be splitting all of you into groups. Just the the Great Beast summoners," King explained. All the other children had already circled them, and they began to whisper amongst each other, confused. "We will be training you on teamwork. This is a real battle, so you need to learn how to cooperate. Abeke and Rollan have gone through something similar, so they will be able to guide you,"

"Why do we have to fight in groups? Why not alone? Won't that be much easier to take down more enemies?" Kirat snapped, crossing his arms. Cabaro yawned beside him, tossing his mane luxuriously.

"The enemies we will be facing will be many, Kirat," Abeke said steadily.

"I can take them alone," the Niloan boy sniffed haughtily. Rollan scowled.

"Look Kirat. I don't care if you're Tarik's nephew and that you're strong, but teamwork is important. I used to think of standing alone too. But after all my adventures, I realised that being in a team is better than being alone," he snapped.

"That's your thoughts, not mine." Kirat scowled. "I'm not going to join this group training nonsense. I'll train alone," He whirled around and stormed off. Cabaro raised his head quizzically, snout scrunched up in distaste. Then he got on his feet- even though Tasha could see he didn't like it- and ambled after the fuming Kirat.

There was an awkward silence. "I suppose we should leave him be." King muttered, sighing. He turned and counted the number of children in the group. "I will split you into two groups of five. Abeke and Rollan will be the group leaders,"

"That's fine with me," Rollan gave a helpless shrug, and Abeke nodded, though Tasha caught the wary glance she shot at King. _I wonder if she knows who he is?_

"Tasha, Grif, Cordalles and Lina will join Abeke. Dawson, Anuqi, Anda and Kaiina, to Rollan." King said, and the children shuffled off to their respective leaders.

Abeke smiled at her group, and Tasha found herself smiling back. Out of the four heroes who saved Erdas, Tasha admired Conor the most, for his warmth towards his friends and family, and how he still rose to be a great leader. But Abeke came a close second. The Niloan was brave, swift, and most of all caring.

"So, Sha- I mean, _King_ , says that we will be fighting together in this group from now on. Even during the battles in the near future. So we'll have to know each other even more, including our strengths and weaknesses." Abeke said. Tasha nodded, as did the others.

"I'm more capable of using a bow. Tasha?" Abeke nodded to her.

"I use a staff," she said. Abeke muttered something under her breath, her eyes gleaming with a hidden emotion.

"Just like Conor when he uses his crook,"

Tasha's eyes widened. She was like _Conor_? That couldn't be. The Euran boy was gentle, strong and confident. She was just _clumsy_. That was probably why Ninani came to her- to give her a swan's grace.

"Grif?" The Niloan was saying. The small boy whipped out a few daggers from his shorts, brandishing them.

"Daggers," he said smugly.

"That's nice. What about you Cordalles?"

The seafarer shook her head, looking embarrassed. "I've... never fought before. But I can throw a few punches?" She said, lowering her head, a flush on her cheeks. Tasha put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll learn. Before Abeke and Rollan came to take me with Ninani, I didn't even know how to fight," she smiled assuringly. Abeke nodded.

"That's right. There's always room for growth and improvement. What about you Lina?" The Niloan asked.

Lina blinked. "I also use a staff," she said, looking at Tasha knowingly. Tasha found herself smiling.

"Alright then. First things first, Cordalles, what kind of a weapon do you prefer? Let's see if we can find something for you," Abeke nodded, gesturing at the racks and racks of weapons at the walls. Uneasily, Cordalles went forward, looking at the variety of weapons.

Then she picked up a sword. "My father uses a sword. So I guess I'll follow him," she said, holding the weapon in her hands like it was a treasure. Abeke smiled, then lead them to one end of the training room. Rollan was already helping his group get adjusted to using their weapons, currently helping Anda with a dagger. There were a few Redcloaks helping out, which Tasha recognised as Stead and Howl. Devin and Karmo were training themselves at a further corner.

King himself was with Shadow, waiting for them. Tasha saw the hints of dark scales lining King's arm, but he pulled his sleeve down before she could be sure. _Was I imagining things?_ She wondered.

"Have you chosen your weapons?" King asked. Abeke nodded, and again cast that suspicious glance at the leader of the Redcloaks. _She's still suspicious. Well, I guess she would be, after everything that happened. King just popped out of nowhere._

"Yes we have. Everyone here except Cordalles knows how to fight somewhat," Abeke said, giving the seafarer girl a reassuring smile. "It will be tough learning, but I'm sure you can do it," Cordalles nodded, a determined fire in her eyes.

"I'm doing this for Halawir," she said in a strong voice. There was a flicker of sadness in Abeke's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

"I will teach you in the basics of sword fights," Shadow stepped forward, and took Cordalles to a corner, where she too grabbed a sword.

"I assume the rest are ready?" King said, glancing at Abeke. Abeke nodded, taking out her bow. Grif spun the daggers in his hand, while Tasha gripped her staff. Ninani flapped her wings, as if getting ready to fly. Lina stood beside her with a similar staff in hand, Mulop waving his tentacles in the air.

"Good. We'll start off with some practice drills," King said, then showed them a series of drills they could do. Tasha sparred with Lina, while Grif went with Abeke.

"Ready?" Lina asked, cocking her head. Tasha nodded, bracing herself. The girl smiled mysteriously-

-and attacked.

Tasha had never seen anyone move so _fast._ She had heard stories of Meilin in combat, and that she was a formidable opponent. Lina moved in a speed _exactly like her._

She yelped as Lina smashed her staff against her arm, only barely managing to block the strike. The blow sent her staggering, and Lina striked again. The staff connected with her arm, and Tasha cried out in pain at the impact. It sent shocks up her body and through her spine.

Tasha flailed, trying desperately to dodge Lina's attacks. She was moving like liquid- Tasha caught sight of Mulop gurgling gleefully. _The octopus was helping enhance her flexibility._

Then she heard a squawk, and the world seemed to slow, just a bit. Tasha could see where Lina's staff was going to hit- her waist. Quickly, and with the grace of a swan, she went to block. Lina looked surprised, then spotted Ninani sitting at the side, and smiled knowingly.

The two separated, just to catch their breaths. The others had stopped whatever they were doing, and were gaping at them.

"That was _amazing_!" Kaiina gasped from where she was practicing with a bow.

"Lina fights just like Meilin," Rollan said in awe.

"Tasha was good too," Abeke laughed, smiling at Tasha. Tasha flushed at the compliment, lowering her head. Her arm was throbbing with a dull pain from where Lina had hit her earlier, and her muscles felt sore from all the straining. But to get praised by one of the Four Heroes of Erdas? It was worth it.

"I apologise for the hit earlier. Are you alright?" Lina asked, stepping forward. Tasha nodded.

"You were so good! How do you even fight like that? I know Mulop was helping you but... that seemed so unbelievable." She said. Lina only smiled.

* * *

After a few hours of more practice, Tasha felt exhausted. She had never fought so much in her life. Even the skirmishes against Zerif and the people he controlled hadn't been so tiring. "Don't you even feel tired?" She asked Lina, who was using her staff to repeatedly swing at the air.

"I am feeling a little fatigued," the girl admitted. "But I am used to it,"

"You must have trained a lot," Tasha mused, stroking Ninani's velvety head. Lina had put Mulop in passive state as the octopus had began to feel dehydrated. He was a marine creature after all, not suited to staying on land for long periods of time.

"Have you all practiced enough?" King asked, clapping his hands for attention. Tasha noticed that everyone was sweating, breathing hard after the practices. At least she wasn't the only one.

"Then we shall start with the group training. Abeke's group, you will be facing me and Shadow. Rollan's group, you are against Stead and Howl. Try to take us down together as a team. Those with spirit animals, you can call for their aid as well," King said, nodding to his subordinates. "The goal is to knock off our masks."

"This is just like the training room in Greenhaven," Tasha heard Rollan mutter, a wistfulness entering his tone.

Abeke called for her group, and Tasha went over. "Remember, we have to work as a team. I don't want any heroics here. Fighting in a team gives us a very good advantage against most because we work together to cover up for each other," The Niloan nodded to each of them. Tasha nodded back in understanding.

Cordalles gripped her sword nervously. "So we can back up each other?" She asked. Abeke nodded.

"We will go forward as one and win as a team. There can be no hesitation or uncertainty. Cooperation is important," she said, patting the seafarer's shoulder. Cordalles nodded, biting her lip.

"Are you ready?" King asked. Abeke turned and nodded, looking back at her group. Tasha tightened her grip on her staff. She wondered if they could even beat King and Shadow. She had seen what King was capable of, and Shadow seemed to be really lithe.

"Come and attack us then," He gestured for them, and Abeke held her dagger firmly, not a trace of hesitation on her face.

"Let's go guys!" She said, then charged. Grif let out a caterwaul which surprised Tasha momentarily, and he followed Abeke's lead. Lina went after confidently, and Tasha found her legs move by themselves. Cordalles hesitated for a split second, before running after her.

The five of them hurled themselves at the two Redcloaks. Shadow leaped back, her back arched like a cat's as she whipped out knives from underneath her sleeves. King held his ground, wielding his sword mightily as he faced them head on.

 _Shadow is support,_ Tasha realised, and whirled around to block the blades that the feline girl shot at them. Ninani took off to the sky, then arrowed down at Shadow beak-first. The swan pecked at her as she tried to block, and Tasha nodded to Lina, before rushing at her.

Lina was at her side, and simultaneously they struck out, lunging their staffs at Shadow. The girl twisted out of the way in the nick of time, leaping away from Ninani. Tasha could see the gleam in her black eyes as more knives slid from her sleeves.

Grif cried out from where he was engaged against King with Abeke and Cordalles, and Tasha turned to see what was going on, momentarily distracted.

Shadow pounced then, jumping into the air and bearing down on Tasha like a cat falling from a tree. Lina stepped forward and countered her attack, and Tasha remembered that there was an enemy in front of them. "Sorry!" She gasped, getting into battle position.

"No need for apologies," Lina said, watching attentively as Shadow slunk towards them, her joints moving with impossible flexibility. The girl crouched near the ground, knives in her hands, and she too watched them warily.

She zipped forward, striking at Lina with her knives, throwing another one at Tasha's direction to prevent her from helping. Tasha dodged them all. Then another knive whistled past her head- straight at Abeke's back. Ninani's grace flowed through her body.

"Abeke watch out!" Tasha called, whirling her staff to knock the knife out of the air. The end of it smacked against the blade, causing it to veer away from Abeke just as the Niloan turned. The blade landed on the ground at Abeke's feet, and she gave a thumbs-up.

Lina was busy struggling with Shadow. The feline girl was stronger than she appeared. Tasha snuck behind her, then striked, aiming to smash her staff against Shadow's back- until the girl threw her leg back and sent hidden knives from under her leggings flying at her direction. Surprised, Tasha fell back, narrowly dodging the blades. One of them tore through the fabric of her shirt, revealing her pale skin.

 _Hidden knives. She's like a ninja,_ Tasha thought, running towards Shadow again, bracing herself for any other surprise attack. Shadow spun, blocking Tasha's staff with the sole of one foot, while still struggling with Lina.

Then Shadow leaped, her other leg rushing towards Tasha at frightening speed. Tasha had to roll away, and Shadow turned her attention back to Lina, shoving her away with a burst of power. Lina stumbled back as the Redcloak slunk away from them to prepare to attack.

Tasha ran to Lina's side, holding her staff firmly in front of her. Lina panted, sweat trickling down her forehead, but otherwise looked uninjured.

For a moment, there was no action. Then Shadow struck again, leaping towards them with huge jumps that covered the distance between them in mere seconds. She attacked both of them at the same time, and Tasha and Lina blocked.

As if they had the same mind, both of them kicked out at Shadow with their feet, knocking her away. The girl staggered, and they swung their staffs as hard as they could at her. Shadow tried to dodge, but couldn't get away quick enough.

The staffs knocked out her mask and sent it flying.

Quickly, Shadow hid her face with her cloak before Tasha could see it. "That was good teamwork. I shall have to leave the field," she announced, then darted away with astonishing agility.

Tasha and Lina grinned at each other, then turned to assist their friends. Apparently, King was much more difficult to deal with, even though three people were engaging him. He swung his sword in large arcs all around him, preventing them from drawing near.

The two rushed over, coming at King from two sides. The others saw what they were doing and followed, surrounding King. They charged forward as one, and King took a giant leap, springing away from them at the last second.

He whirled on his feet, swinging his large sword. On the other side, there were cheers of triumph as Howl's mask was knocked out. All that was left was Stead.

Then King ran towards the other group, much to Tasha's surprise. And Stead went to them.

It happened so quickly- the groups couldn't even comprehend that their opponents had switched themselves. King launched into attack, bringing his sword near Anda. The Amayan boy yelped, finally coming back to reality and ducked just as the blade swung into the spot where his neck had been.

Tasha had no time to see Rollan charge with a yell. Stead was locked in furious combat against Grif- who, too, was stronger than he appeared to be. Abeke and Cordalles snuck behind Stead cautiously. Tasha nodded to Lina, and the two approached the Redcloak from the sides, cornering him.

Stead seemed to realise that he was trapped, as he suddenly grabbed Grif by the shoulders of his shirt and threw him at Abeke and Cordalles, sending them sprawling in a heap. Then he lowered his head, the ram horns on his mask brandished, and charged at Lina.

The girl raised her staff in a feeble defense, and just as Stead was about to collide into her, Tasha leapt forward. She felt light and graceful suddenly, and knew that it could only be Ninani's doing. Twirling, she smashed her staff against Stead's head in lightning quick movements.

Surprised, Stead tripped over his feet and crashed to the ground, his mask flying off. He lay there stunned for a moment, before getting up and grabbing his mask. Tasha found herself gawking.

Stead had the appearance of a handsome young man with pale skin and dusty hair. But what shocked her the most was his eyes. They weren't normal human eyes.

They were the eyes of a ram- yellow and the pupils slitted horizontally.

Tasha could also see traces of white tufts of fur lining his chin. There were also small horns sprouting from his head, not yet fully grown. As Stead put his mask back on, his sleeve slid down and revealed several more patches of white fur, almost like a sheep's.

 _He's becoming a human-ram,_ Tasha realised with a stab of horror. Stead caught her gaze and gave her a half-smile as he put his mask back on. He put a finger to the lips of his mask. "Don't tell anyone," he said softly, and nodded to her in approval. He also turned and gave Lina another nod, before jumping away from them. Tasha could see now that the way he jumped was just like a ram's, sure and speedy.

Shouts brought Tasha back from her daze, and she whirled around to see both groups engaging King. The leader of the Redcloaks was proving to be much more difficult to defeat.

Tasha and Lina ran towards them, determined to aid their new friends. King twisted out of grabs, stand and lunges with astonishing agility, his body bending in almost unnatural curves. The movements sent shivers down Tasha's spine. It seemed almost familiar.

Almost like one of a crocodile's.

She shook the rising thought from her head. It wasn't possible. She had to be imagining things. Ninani let out a squawk beside her, and Tasha turned to see Kaiina flying towards her.

She caught the tribal girl before she landed on the ground. "Thanks," Kaiina wheezed, fumbling with her bow and quiver of arrows. Tasha gave her a warm smile, before turning her attention to King. She had to focus. There was no time for dreaming, especially on a real battlefield.

Tasha gripped her staff and ran at King just as Lina approached him too. They moved, almost synchronized, ducking under the swipes of the Redcloak and smacking at his feet.

King grunted, pausing for a split second. That was enough time for Tasha to launch herself at his back and ram him.

King gave a startled help as he staggered forward, and Lina brought her staff up his chin in an instant.

But the leader of the Redcloaks bent back, shoving Tasha away and dodging the blow. He spun, pushing Lina to Tasha, then swinging his sword in huge arcs around him.

Both Tasha and Lina yelped, scrambling to their feet. Tasha felt the blade nick at her arm, and she winced slightly, putting a hand on the small scratch. Luckily, it barely bled.

King was busy avoiding more attacks. Tasha could see that Abeke had given up on using the dagger she held, instead asking Kaiina for her bow and using that instead.

The Niloan pulled back the string, nocking an arrow in place and aimed, her eyes narrowed slightly. Those eyes of hers had the glint of a hunter.

Tasha watched with admiration for a moment as Abeke pulled the string a bit further. Then she let the arrow loose- just as the others who were fighting him jumped away, leaving him open.

King whirled to see the arrow sail to his face with brilliant accuracy- and his hand shot up to catch it.

The arrow stopped in front of his mask.

Tasha used the chance to sneak an attack, slamming her staff against King's back. Rollan barreled into him with his shoulder, knocking King to the side. Kaiina had used Abeke's weapon, and together with Anda, slashed at King.

The red cloak the leader wore tore, as well as some parts of his shirt. Under those holes showed signs of green scales on his skin, rippling along with his muscles.

Tasha froze. The green of those scales looked _very_ familiar. _But that can't be possible._

King threw the arrow back at Abeke, before whirling around with his sword, swinging at anyone who came close to him. Lina was daring enough to go near.

She ducked under the swings, and with a foot lashed out King's legs, knocking them from underneath him. King pushed at the ground just as he nearly fell flat on his face, pushing himself up with a somersault through the air. He landed on the ground gracefully.

Lina had called Mulop back out, and she approached him again. Anuqi backed her up, her spear clenched tightly in hand. Tasha pushed the thought out of her head. _Focus!_

Then Lina struck, moving in fluid movements as she approached King. Rollan was at her side, ramming against King to distract him. The leader swayed at the blow, his feet planted firmly into the ground. Abeke was nocking another arrow, while Dawson and Cordalles approached from the side. Tasha decided to go in and aid Lina.

King was suddenly locked in a brutal hand-to-hand combat session with the Oceanus girl. Lina was small and fast, and with Mulop's help, was more flexible. Her hits also packed a punch. Tasha was very certain that she was every bit the warrior Meilin was.

Lina sprung away for a second, allowing Dawson and Cordalles to charge on one side, Anuqi the other. Grif and Anda came from the back. They simultaneously stabbed at King, and he grunted in slight pain as their weapons hit him, tearing through his clothes. The only thing that helped prevent severe wounds were the scales on his skin, serving almost like a shield.

The children seemed shocked at the prospect that they had hurt King, and that gave him enough time to tear out of the tight circle they had formed around him.

But Tasha was ready.

As soon as King escaped from the circle, Tasha leapt at him, smashing her staff against his head. King cried out in surprise, whirling to face his assailant. Tasha didn't give him enough time to see who it was.

Ninani's power flowing through her, she smacked her staff at him again and again, quickly moving to different positions to confuse him. Lina joined her, followed by Anuqi, ducking and hitting in mere seconds.

King desperately turned here and there, his eyes flickering through the slits of his empty mask.

Then just as Anuqi lunged forward, his arm shot out and grabbed her. The Ardu girl yelped, and King tried to push her away, but she clung on tightly.

Tasha saw what she was trying to do. The others did too.

All at once, they jumped at King, grabbing onto any part of his limbs and keeping him there. He struggled, obviously trying not to hurt them, but with the combined effort of eight children, he could barely move.

Lina nodded to her as King increased his thrashing, trying to shake them off. Tasha gave a quick nod back, and together they attacked- just as King threw the children off.

Their staffs connected with his mask, and it came flying off.

Tasha gasped, dropping her staff as she saw who King was.

Blond hair that was slightly tousled from all the fighting. Yellow, crocodile-like eyes with dilated pupils. A patch of scales on his cheek. But there was no mistaking it. Tasha was certain. She knew that face, even with the different eyes.

She fell to her knees, staring, her breath hitching in her throat.

It was him.

The man who started the second great war of Erdas, alongside Kovo the Ape, Gerathon the Serpent and Halawir the Eagle. The man who was supposed to be the king of Stetriol. The man who very nearly destroyed the nation he was supposed to rule.

King, leader of the Redcloaks, was Shane.

The Devourer.

* * *

 _A/N Aye! So Tasha found out King was actually Shane(since she doesn't know) and is shocked. XD That's all for the chapter. I hope you liked the little bits and pieces of action I put in! Next chapter we go back to Meilin who is underground! More trouble brews for her, Takoda and Conor! How will they fare? Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews motivate me to write more, so do review! Tell me your thoughts on this story! I would love to hear them! :)_**


	7. 7 - THE CHASE BEGINS

_A/N Hey guys I'm back again :3 Another chapter of Rising of the Fallen! So in the previous chapter, it was Tasha's POV. They did some training! And Tasha finds out that King is Shane! This chapter goes back to Meilin, who is still underground with Takoda and a very sick Conor. What trouble awaits them? Happy reading! :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Rocks. More rocks. Just _rocks._ Meilin was officially pissed off.

They were trekking through more rocky paths littered with debris and stone, and the paths were all connected. It seemed like forever had passed since they last rested. Meilin wondered if they had been going in circles.

She looked back at the group and saw Takoda moving behind her, constantly glancing at Kovo, who knuckle-walked behind him.

The ape was carrying an unconscious Conor on his back. Briggan loped along beside them as well, snarling every time Kovo tripped over a stone.

When the Evertree had stopped contracting its roots and the pain was gone, and after they had eaten a little to keep up their strength, Meilin had tried to wake Conor up. But the boy was much too tired to even stir, staying unconscious. In the end they had to carry him, so as to not waste anymore time.

"Let Kovo carry him," Takoda had suggested. Meilin had immediately refused, as she wanted to carry him herself. She didn't trust Kovo to take care of Conor. "Please trust him. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything funny." So, despite Meilin _still_ being uncertain, Kovo had hoisted Conor onto his back, even though it was very obvious he didn't like it.

Conor being unconscious was a good thing in a way. He didn't have to endure the trek and suffer even more. The Wyrm also seemed to be staying dormant for the moment. But Meilin knew it was more than that.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Conor's ill state was slowing them down. Right now, what they needed was speed, in order to reach the Wyrm before Conor turned into one of the Many. Before Erdas above was taken by Zerif.

And him being unconscious seemed to be for the best, as it kept the Wyrm at bay. They could also move a whole lot faster.

Meilin had no idea how much further the Evertree was. It seemed to stretch all the way past the horizon where she could see, and the Wyrm's cracked egg seemed so close, yet it was so far. The large cavern with the ruins of an ancient city around them was all but silent too. Other than the shuffling of their boots, the grunts of Kovo and Briggan's panting, the cavern was alive with other creatures.

She could hear skittering, slithering, and somewhere in the distance, pounding. There were growls, hisses and unnatural giggles rebounding off the stones at them. Meilin shuddered. She remembered the cyrix they had encountered in the tunnels, and the Many as they swarmed Phos Astos.

 _What if they were the ones who made those sounds?_ Meilin vaguely remembered Xanthe, the girl who had guided them through the tunnels, playing shadow puppets with Takoda while they had been resting. The pink-eyed girl had mentioned something about a _gallor_ and a _snarle_ , other 'creatures' in Sadre.

Meilin hadn't believed her then, but she might now.

She held her quarterstaff at the ready, alert for danger. It didn't hurt to be cautious, especially since they were in a foreign environment. Shadows flickered around them in the light of the torch she held, its bright orange-red flame burning steadily. Meilin glanced back at her friends again.

Kovo shifted his hold on Conor, grunting with annoyance. Briggan growled warningly at him. Then Conor's eyelids fluttered, just slightly, at the movement. His face was pale, sweat trickling down his forehead, and his expression was scrunched up in pain. He let out a faint groan.

Meilin stopped in her tracks, turning to face Conor. Takoda and Kovo paused too. Briggan whimpered, pawing at the ground as he gazed at his human partner with his worried, cobalt blue eyes.

Conor's eyes flickered again, and he grimaced, muttering softly. His body tensed, and the Wyrm on his cheek looped around itself slowly, pulsing with life. He raised his head slowly, his eyes finally blinking open, a dazed confused blue. He squinted at Meilin, and there was a flash of recognition on his exhausted face.

Then Conor seemed to realise where he was and that he was being carried by Kovo. "Wha-?" He started, eyes growing wide with astonishment. Kovo let go suddenly, dropping him, and Conor crashed to the ground with a yelp, lying winded. Briggan snapped at Kovo angrily, baring his teeth. The ape merely snorted and sat on the ground with a heavy thump.

Conor lay there for a few moments, then slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. Briggan was at his side, nuzzling his arm gently, deep whines of affection rumbling in his throat. Conor smiled tiredly at the wolf, scratching him behind the ear and running a hand through his thick fur.

Meilin went forward, crouching down in front of him. "Are you okay?" She asked soothingly, taking out a cloth and dabbing away the sweat on his forehead. She could feel the heat of his skin radiating from him, and knew that his fever was back. In fact, it felt even worse than before. Conor nodded, although there was a sickly colour to his normally healthy pink skin, which had appeared even more vividly as they journeyed farther.

Worried, Meilin called out Jhi. A whiplash of pain hit her as she tugged at her bond and she winced, biting her lip. The panda appeared after a second, and she looked around, her great head turning to see her surroundings. Meilin knew Jhi was disappointed to see that they have not gone to the surface yet, judging by how the panda then let out a low huff and set about placing herself right next to Conor, filling up the gap that was between him and Kovo in an instant.

She rasped her tongue across Conor's face, and the boy patted her head wearily, still looking slightly dazed. "... What happened? How long was I out for?" He asked softly, blinking his blue eyes at Meilin.

"The Wyrm..." she began. Conor grimaced with sick understanding. "And the Evertree. Our bonds stretched again. You passed out from the pain," He seemed to have paled even further, his eyes flickering. She could tell he was afraid.

Meilin studied his face for a moment. She could see the bags under his eyes, which were striking against his pale skin. He had lost more fat in his cheeks, so that his cheekbones were visibly jutting out, and his arms had become more thin and bony, his body frail. _He needs to eat,_ Meilin thought, and set her pack on the ground. Takoda followed her, realising that they were going to rest a bit.

Meilin dug out a slice of stale bread and offered it to Conor, but he didn't move to take it. Instead, he pushed it away, pulling his legs close to his body and closing his eyes, taking in a deep shuddery breath. "Eat something Conor. You need to keep your strength up," she said, frowning as he shook his head.

Conor gave her a small smile, one of tiredness. "I'm fine Meilin. I'm not hungry..." he whispered, his eyes almost blank. It was like he wasn't even seeing her.

"At least take a bite. Just look how thin you are," She persisted, holding the bread out. Still, Conor refused, shifting away from her slightly. Briggan whined, nudging his thigh, and licking at his hand, gazing at him mournfully. The wolf took the bread into his jaws lightly and raised it up to Conor's face, placing a paw on his ankle.

Conor shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed, and he pushed Briggan away, which surprised Meilin. "Conor, even Briggan wants you to eat. Don't reject him," Takoda said gently. Conor's head whipped towards him, his blue eyes flickering into dilated pupils flooded with fury.

"Don't tell me how I should treat my spirit animal! And I said I'm not hungry, so don't force me to eat either!" He spat, his face twisting into a snarl-like scowl. Takoda flinched, and Briggan's tail drooped as Conor shot the wolf a poisonous glare. His body was trembling, and Jhi, startled, moved away, quietly ambling over to Briggan and taking the bread from the upset canine, pressing herself to him.

"Calm down Conor. We just-" Meilin said, reaching for her friend. Conor recoiled from her, hissing with rage, and that made her stop. He seemed to be struggling to control himself, his pupils still flickering, flashes of pain on his face.

He squeezed his eyes shut, slamming his lips together tightly and buried his face in his knees, hugging his legs close. Meilin saw the tremors run through his body, one moment so bad that it almost became convulses, as he fought an internal battle in his head over control of his body. "Fight Conor," she whispered, feeling that same helplessness as her friend struggled against the Wyrm in his body. "I know you can beat it,"

Then he calmed, shuddery breaths being inhaled and exhaled, and he finally raised his head. Meilin was shocked to see tears welling in his eyes. And it pained her when she also saw the lost, broken look beneath those blue pools. "... I'm sorry," he whispered, looking away. "I'm sorry, so sorry..." A sob caught in his throat.

"There's no need to apologise. That was the Wyrm. It isn't your fault," Meilin reassured, saddened to see her once gentle, confident friend reduced to a frightened, sobbing child. _We're all so young. And yet we have to go through so much._

"No, no no," Conor whispered, blinking rapidly as his tears flowed. His gaze was blank, as if he was seeing or hearing something Meilin couldn't. He glanced at Briggan, who sat on his haunches with his head hung low. "I'm sorry Brig," he murmured, the sadness in his tone so overwhelming Meilin wanted to break down crying as well. Briggan perked up at the nickname, and he whined, pressing close to Conor, nuzzling his partner affectionately. Jhi blinked at Conor for a few moments, before returning back to where she had sat and tended to him.

Meilin couldn't stand it. She wanted to kick something, scream, swear at the heavens for making Conor go through so much pain. She needed to punch something, and if she could choose, she would most preferably choose Zerif.

That man was the one who infected Conor in the first place. Meilin wanted to _murder_ him in cold blood.

Takoda was looking at Conor with a sad, pitying expression, which made Meilin want to hit something even more. What Conor needed now was being cured, saved. Not pity.

Meilin knew that if Rollan was here, he would be able to find a joke to lighten the mood. He always did. She closed her eyes, picturing Rollan's smile, trying to calm down. She could remember his hands, his embrace as he pulled her close, and his warm voice. She missed him desperately.

 _Please be safe Rollan._

It was then Conor, who had been hugging Briggan tightly, stiffened, and recoiled from the wolf. His body began shaking again, the Wyrm on his cheek trembling as well. "Conor?" Meilin gasped, eyes widening. The boy spasmed, collapsing on the ground and writhing, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Conor!" Meilin cried, reaching for him.

 _Not now,_ she thought with grim panic. _Please hang on longer Conor!_

Then Conor stopped, breathing heavily, his chest heaving. He lay quietly on the ground, his eyes fluttering open. "They're coming," he whispered, biting his lip in a sort of frustration. Meilin looked up, scanning the area alertly. Then Briggan growled, his hackles rising, looking the way they came from. Jhi let out a small whimper and shifted to Meilin's side, her silver eyes wide with fear. Kovo snarled, getting up from where he had been sitting and pounding his fists into the ground. Takoda's hand went to his sword's hilt.

And the Many appeared.

They came in a large swarm, clambering over rocks and scaling the cliff faces with astonishing agility. Meilin whipped out her quarterstaff, yanking Conor to his feet. The boy stumbled, tripping onto Kovo. The ape grunted, and hauled him over his thick shoulder, much to the Euran's surprise.

The Many came towards them steadily, blinking their white eyes at them, the black spirals on their foreheads throbbing.

"Meilin, there's too many! We can't fight them all," Takoda said, his voice shaking with fear. Meilin could see that as well. Reluctantly, she began to retreat back, keeping the others behind her. She raised her hand to Jhi, and the panda disappeared back onto her hand with a searing flash.

"Takoda, get out a-" she began, until she saw a mass of black behind the horde of Many. Her blood went cold.

It was a cyrix, with its many eyes and oozing black tentacles of darkness. But what made Meilin even more shocked was the fact that there was a pulsing black spiral on every one of those eyes, replacing the white pupils.

 _The cyrix was being controlled by the Wyrm._ And it was after them.

"Takoda! A flare, now!" Meilin cried out in a strangled voice, turning on her heels quickly. Takoda wrestled with his pack for a moment, then produced a small round orb. Meilin turned away from it, knowing what was coming- and just as expected, light erupted from the little stone and into the surroundings.

The creatures of darkness screeched and hissed in pain, recoiling away, closing their eyes desperately.

Meilin wasted no time, and began tearing down the path, Takoda and Kovo on her heels, with Briggan dashing along closely at the rear. Conor hung limply over Kovo's shoulder, looking bewildered and blinded by the light of the flare.

She had no idea how long they ran- they just kept running, running, if only to escape the Wyrm-controlled monsters. And it was then Conor suddenly cried out, tensing and struggling in Kovo's arm.

They reached a large, open area with little debris and just barren ground at that moment. Takoda turned, checking the path they had taken to see whether the Many and the cyrix were following them. Kovo let go of Conor, and he tumbled to the ground, gasping. Meilin crouched down beside him as Briggan did as well, worried.

"What's the matter Conor?" She asked. Did he sense something? Or was he experiencing more pain? Meilin had no idea. Conor's expression didn't look like one of agony.

Conor was trembling, his eyes wide with fear and anxiety. "I-I heard it," he stammered, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Heard what?" She asked gently, trying to soothe her friend's jumpy nerves. Conor chewed on his lower lip, avoiding her eyes. Briggan nudged him, urging him to continue.

"It spoke to me. In my head, when we were running away," he finally said, swallowing nervously, his gaze far away. "It wants me."

" _What_ wants you?" Takoda asked, dread in his tone as he anticipated the Euran's answer. Meilin looked expectantly at her friend, waiting. She had a feeling she knew what the thing was though.

"It sent the Many after me," Conor continued, ignoring the monk's question. "It took control of the cyrix to gain more minions," His hand tentatively reached up to touch his cheek, where the Wyrm rested. His voice shuddered. "It can't wait anymore. It wants to control me now."

"You can't be..." Takoda's voice trailed off in speechless horror. Meilin gulped, pressing her hand against Jhi's tattoo for comfort. Briggan whined pitifully, pressing himself closer to Conor. Kovo seemed to be unable to say anything for once, only keeping quiet.

"You're tired. You must've been hearing things," Meilin said, trying to get Conor to forget about it. But her wavering voice betrayed her fear and uncertainty. The fear of losing Conor.

"I know what I heard Meilin," Conor said softly, blinking at her with his downcast blue eyes. "It spoke directly into my head, very clearly, very loudly." An involuntary shudder ran up his spine. "I still know what it said to me,"

"What?" Meilin whispered, her breath hitching. As much as she didn't want to hear it, she knew she had to. As much as she wanted to convince herself it wasn't true, she knew she had to believe it. Conor never lied; that she knew very well.

Conor stared at her, his eyes turning glassy. "' _I will find you. I will claim you. There is no escape, no matter how much you try to run._ '" His voice choked, and he closed his eyes, an anguished expression on his face. "' _You will serve me in the end, as will your pathetic friends. No one can defy my will. Prepare youself, little Conor._ '" He looked back at Meilin once more.

"' _I will come for you very soon,_ '" He paused there for a moment, taking in a deep breath. "' _Then your family and friends. And finally all of Erdas._ '"

"' _I,_ _The Wyrm, will control all._ '"

* * *

Meilin sat beside Conor as he slept, staring at the campfire they had made. Briggan was lying next to him, gently nuzzling his hair, his tail wrapped protectively around him. Jhi sat above the wolf, directly above Conor's head, working her soothing powers. Meilin could feel the calm radiating off the panda, and tried to take it all in.

Staring at Briggan, she was reminded of her father. How he used to hug her when she was little, swing her around in his arms and smile that big, joyful grin. And thinking of grins made her think of Rollan.

She was tired, she was afraid, and most of all, she felt hopeless. She couldn't do anything. It felt like the time when Zhong fell to the Conquerors. When her father sent her away, and died. When she was being controlled by Gerathon.

Conor mumbled in his fevered sleep, as he did every time. Jhi's powers seemed didn't seem to be working much anymore. There was still a strain on his face, and he twitched every now and then, breathing with shallow, rapid breaths. Sweat dripped down his face, and the Wyrm seemed to be inching up bit by bit.

Meilin frowned, taking out her cloth to wipe away his sweat. He was shivering, she could see, as if ice was flowing through his veins instead of blood. Conor whimpered softly, and Briggan licked at his face, low growls rumbling in his throat. Jhi's expression had become one of intense concentration, her face scrunched up. She was trying her best to calm the Euran.

Takoda and Kovo sat opposite Meilin, signing to each other yet again. Meilin had no idea what they were talking about, but by the look on Takoda's face, she could tell that it wasn't a very pleasant topic. _Well, that's because of Kovo._

She leaned against the rock she was resting on, closing her eyes to make them relax. Everything happening was straining her. But even though she wanted to go back up to Greenhaven and roll onto her nice soft bed, have a decent meal for once and take a refreshing hot bubble bath, she had to focus. The Wyrm had to be defeated. She couldn't ignore that fact, especially since Conor was infected.

Then there was another wild cry from Conor, and he jerked up, eyes wide with dread. He sat there gasping, as Briggan nudged him with his muzzle, that constant worry in his blue eyes. "Meilin- Meilin-" the boy sobbed, tears pooling in his eyes.

"You have to get away. They're coming, coming,"

Meilin's eyes widened and she sprang to her feet, whipping out her quarterstaff. Takoda was already on his feet, hands clenched around another flare. Kovo grumbled beside him. Jhi ambled up to Meilin and she held out her hand. The panda disappeared again.

Briggan whined, nudging Conor's back, trying to get him to stand up. The boy didn't budge, instead staring down the path with his still wide eyes. "What are you doing Conor? Get up!" Meilin barked, grabbing his arm.

He shrugged her away, pupils flickering. "No, no. _You_ guys have to get away. Just leave me here," he whispered, gazing at her sadly.

"What are you talking about? _Get up already_!" She snapped. She could hear the skittering of the Many as they approached them. They had to move _now_. Conor still shook his head.

"I'm slowing you guys down. Don't worry about me, just _go_. The Wyrm wants me. I can try to persuade it to leave you guys be for a moment. _Please_ Meilin," he pleaded, his blue eyes filled with his sadness and overwhelming pain. Meilin stiffened.

" _No,_ " she spat, as harshly as she could. Conor flinched. Meilin felt a pang of regret, but if being harsh would show Conor just how stubborn she was and that she was _not leaving him behind,_ she would do it. "I told you I would _protect_ you. And I _will_. I'm not going to leave you to die. I'm not going to fail you like how I failed," she paused, taking in a deep breath, then looked Conor straight in the eye. "My father."

The hisses of the Many came, and they appeared around the corner, their claws sharpened, teeth glinting menacingly. The cyrix appeared behind them, waving its tentacles in the air as it surged forward, rolling its Wyrm-infected eyes.

Conor was staring at her, tears streaming down his face. "Okay," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry,"

"No time to apologise. Get up and _move_!" Meilin yanked him up and shoved him away as the first of the Many came at her. She whacked at it with her quarterstaff, smashing them on the head and shoulders. The swarm came on restlessly, and Meilin had to retreat back, bracing herself.

She lashed out at the Many as they came, unleashing a flurry of blows, her cloak billowing behind her. She was vaguely aware of Kovo roaring and throwing the Many away, and Takoda hacking at the monsters at the ape's side. Conor had taken out his ax, but his hands were shaking so much he couldn't hold it with a proper grip. Briggan growled at his side, hackles raised, teeth bared savagely.

Then the cyrix came forward, lunging straight for Conor. Meilin thwacked the tentacles away at the last minute, and Conor seemed to jerk back from a daze. One of the Many escaped past Meilin, and she turned to attack it, but saw Briggan sink his teeth into its arm and shake it violently, hurling it away.

Takoda was struggling, Kovo tiring. Even Meilin felt the energy pumping through her body fade away. She tried to reach for Jhi's calm, could barely feel it. It gave her a little boost, but not enough. Not enough to protect them.

Takoda threw something into the air, and Meilin saw that it was the flare before it burst in a blinding, searing flash of light. The creatures screamed their agony, and the monk immediately turned, running down the path. Meilin grabbed Conor's hand and pulled him, running. She couldn't fight them anymore. She could only run and get Conor safely away.

The boy stumbled but ran after her, and she felt his fingers curl around her hand, a tight grip. She felt the tremors in his fingers, the slickness of his palm. But she wasn't going to let go. Never. And Conor's grip didn't loosen either.

They would stick together until the end, just as they had in the Arachane Fields. She wasn't going to abandon him.

Conor was her family, a brother to her. So was Abeke, so was Rollan (though Meilin had a feeling their relationship could go even further). She would protect all of them until her last breath.

She couldn't help Abeke and Rollan right now, but she could help Conor. She would stay by his side. She would defeat the Wyrm for him, and cure him.

And seeing his worry-free, joyous smile once more would be a good enough reward.

* * *

 _A/N So... The Wyrm is chasing Conor. Dx Poor guy. So next chapter, we go back to Rollan, who is on the ship with Abeke! What will happen there? Thanks for reading guys! Keep a lookout for the next chapter! ;)_

 ** _Reviews help me work faster, so do review and give feedback! I love knowing what all of you think of the story! Thanks everyone!_**


	8. 8 - ARRIVAL

_A/N Hey guys! I'm back! A new chapter of Rising of the Fallen awaits! In the previous chapter, Meilin, Takoda and Conor get chased by the Many! The Wyrm wants Conor, so that it can finally control him... They only barely escape. In this chapter, Rollan and Abeke talk a bit. And something happens! Read on! Happy reading guys!_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot.**_

* * *

Rollan watched as Tasha quietly talked with Shane at a corner of the training room. The training had gone well, and they managed to beat the Redcloaks (even though it seemed like they were going easy on the group), but Shane's identity was revealed. And of course, Tasha recognised him, even though the other children didn't.

At first, Rollan thought there would be a whole lot of hate and resentment in the Stetriolan girl, but he was surprised to see that she only looked shocked, afraid, and perhaps a little... _hopeful_. But why?

Abeke stood beside him, watching as well. "It's funny," she said. "Tasha looks like she's happy." Rollan nodded, catching sight of a slight smile on the blond girl's face. Essix perched on his shoulder, preening her feathers. She gave a chirp and tilted her head as Shane frowned, shaking his head. The other children were finishing up their practices, ignoring them as they conversed.

Rollan felt his senses grow wider, his eyesight sharper, hearing keener, but his eyes and ears throbbed with strain. He read the lips of Tasha and listened to Shane's rather loud voice as they conversed- Tasha was urgent, Shane reluctant. He couldn't hear what Tasha was saying, but he could read her words.

"Please milord," Tasha was saying. "Even though you are a... fugitive, Stetriol still needs a king. The council will not be enough, especially since the nation is growing." Rollan blinked, surprised. Tasha was trying to convince Shane to return to Stetriol as the king.

The former Devourer shook his head again sadly, a wistfulness entering his voice. "As much as I would like to, I can't. The people despise me. I cannot..." His voice grew softer, and Rollan strained to listen. Essix poked his head with her beak, and his hearing became even keener. "... That is why I will not return. Stetriol will fare better without the Devourer, even if he is the crown prince,"

Tasha seemed about to argue, but thought against it and sighed in defeat. "Very well milord. It was a pleasure talking to you," she mumbled and turned away.

Rollan slipped out of his enhanced senses, and turned to Abeke, who was staring at him with a strange expression on her face. "Were you eavesdropping on them?" She asked. Rollan felt his face redden.

"N-no..." he stammered. Essix grasped a beakful of hair and yanked, almost as a scolding. "Ow. Ok, yes I was. But Essix was helping me," He gave a shrug. Essix eyed him sternly. "Don't give me that look. It's not like I wanted to know what they were talking about in the first place," He grumbled.

Essix screeched in disagreement, flapping her wings indignantly. The feathers whacked against Rollan's ear, and he winced. "Okay I'm sorry. You didn't have to be so _loud_ ," he protested. Essix settled back on his shoulder.

"What were they talking about?" Abeke asked curiously.

"Something about the throne of Stetriol. Tasha wants Shane to go back to being king," he answered. Abeke seemed like she had expected it.

"I knew it. Some of the people in Stetriol must want Shane to come back," She glanced to the masked Redcloak leader, who was sorting out the weapons. "I suppose he rejected?"

Rollan nodded. "He thinks the people hate him for what he did. There was something else but I couldn't catch it," Abeke seemed satisfied with his reply.

"Let's go back up then. Training is over," she invited. Rollan followed her as they went back up the hatch. Fresh sea air hit him in the face and he inhaled deeply, taking in the freshness. There was a crispy quality to the air around them, and Rollan noticed that there was little land around them, mostly just ocean.

"Where is this Place of Desolation anyway?" He asked, to no one in particular.

"There is another entrance to the roots of the Evertree," came Shane's voice from behind him. Rollan and Abeke whirled around, and saw the boy standing there, red cloak whipping through the wind. "The Place of Desolation is an area which will lead us there directly, instead of having to go to the Petral Mountains and moving from there." He turned his crocodile yellow gaze to the horizon.

"Your friends went down by the Petral Mountains' door, didn't they?"

"How do you even know these kinds of things?" Rollan demanded. Abeke put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to calm down silently.

"I have my ways and connections," Shane answered simply. "We will be reaching there soon,"

" _Where_ exactly?" Rollan snapped. Being reminded of the Petral Mountains made him feel agitated and restless. That was where Meilin and Conor were trapped. He wanted to save them. Especially Meilin, even though he was worried about Conor's condition. _I should ask Lina if Mulop knows how they are later._

"The Place of Desolation is an island, not far from Nilo. Close to Stetriol as well, but not very close. It is uncharted, as no one has ever gone to that place before. It is the lost second entrance to the Evertree's roots," Shane said.

"Hang on. You're telling me, that we're going to an _island_ in the middle of the _sea,_ and _that_ is the second entrance to the roots of the Evertree? You mean we're going even deeper than the _ocean floor_?" Rollan sputtered incredulously.

"That can't be right," Abeke agreed, a frown on her face.

"I'm afraid it is. And that is also where we will find the weapon to destroy the Wyrm," Shane said solemnly.

"What weapon?" Came Kirat's voice. The Niloan boy came out from the cabins, Cabaro sauntering beside him.

"What he said. What weapon?" Rollan pressed. What secrets was the former Devourer hiding from them? He wanted to know. Shane sighed.

"I believe I will have to explain everything fully. Come, we will hold a meeting in the captain's cabin."

* * *

Rollan found himself seated at a long table, with a plate of steak and a cup of hot chocolate in front of him. "We will discuss while we eat. It has been a long, long day," Shane had said. The other children were also there, already digging in and chatting softly amongst each other. Devin and Karmo were eating as well.

Shane sat at the head of the table, and rapped his knuckles on the wood loudly to get everyone's attention. The chatter died down as the children all turned to him.

"I know most of you are confused as to what we are going through, where we are headed for and etcetera, etcetera. I will explain and clarify our objectives now. Do enjoy your meal while you listen," he said. Rollan propped his chin up on his palm, alert and attentive. Essix roosted on his shoulder, nibbling a piece of jerky he had given her.

"Where we are headed to now is the Place of Desolation. It is uncharted lands. It is also the second entrance to the Evertree's roots, as well as the place to find the weapon which can destroy the Wyrm," Shane explained.

"Weapon?" Cordalles echoed, looking surprised. There was a hope in her eyes- a hope that was seen in all the others.

"Yes, a weapon. When the Evertree was growing, and the Wyrm came to Erdas, the first civilisations of humans living then created a weapon which could destroy the ancient evil. They were the Hellans,"

The word sounded vaguely familiar to Rollan. _Where have I heard it before...?_

"Meilin mentioned something about the Hellans, before she went to the Petral Mountains with Conor and Takoda," Abeke started, shocked. Rollan finally remembered where he had heard the word. They had been in the library in Greenhaven- which Rollan had no idea even existed at that time- and Meilin had scolded them, in a way, for not reading up history.

Shane nodded. "The weapon is the only thing which can end the Wyrm. It is the only thing which can free those who have been infected and are serving the Wyrm's will,"

"You mean, if we use this weapon, we can get our animals back?" Dawson gasped. Devin, who sat beside him, looked a lot more determined, and squeezed his little brother's shoulder.

"Yes," Shane replied. Murmurs broke out amongst the children. They looked overwhelmed by the prospect of being able to get their animals back just with an ancient weapon. "However, defeating the Wyrm is no easy task."

The chatter quietened as Shane solemnly stood. He went over to a cabinet and grabbed a piece of parchment, as well as a pencil. He sat back down again, sketching roughly on the paper. "The weapon consists of three parts. The first part is the trap, used to catch the Wyrm," He pushed the paper across the table, and Rollan craned his neck to look.

The drawing was surprisingly elaborate. It looked to him like a large spear, the kind of spear hunters used to stab their game, only that the handle and blade was longer than a regular spear's. Shane had drawn an arrow at the blade, branching out. There he had written, _'anti-Wyrm material'_.

"'Anti-Wyrm material'?" Anda mused, mystified.

"The Hellans created a material using the leaves of the Evertree, and other substances, which can injure the Wyrm," Shane said stiffly. "That is the trap," He then quickly sketched another part onto the spear. "The scond part is the hold, which contains the Wyrm. It makes sure the Wyrm cannot get away," Once done, he revealed a set of closed claws near the end of the spear. He had added another arrow there, this time saying, _'will stretch out and hold the Wyrm, like claws'._

"That is one heck of a weapon," Rollan snorted. "How do you even know these things anyway?"

Shane gave him the briefest of glances from under his faceless mask. "I told you, I have my ways." He said mysteriously. Rollan frowned, and Essix chewed at her talon on his shoulder.

"The third and final part is the serum. It is a liquid just like the anti-Wyrm material, and it is to be injected into the body of the Wyrm through the hold. The serum will spread through the body of the Wyrm, and destroy it from within." He drew an arrow branching from the closed claws and wrote, _'serum goes here_ _'._

"That doesn't look too complicated," Tasha whispered nervously. Ninani squawked beside her.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," Shane said quietly. A tense air buzzed amongst them, and Rollan bit the inside of his cheek, feeling rather apprehensive. With Essix sitting on his shoulder, he could see the way Shane's fingers twitched as he rolled up the parchment. He saw the way his shoulders slumped, then grew rigid, and slumped again, very quickly, so much so that he would not be able to see it without Essix's help. He sensed the intuition rolling off the falcon, and immediately knew.

Shane was reluctant, keeping something to himself. There was something else.

His eyes began to itch and there was a stretched feeling in his chest. He grimaced, worried by the strain of his bond with the Great Falcon. It hurt even more than before, and Essix clacked her beak, shifting on his shoulder. Rollan reached up to brush her ruffled feathers.

"What are you hiding Shane?" He said before he could stop himself. He couldn't help but still feel suspicious of the former Devourer.

Shane blinked at him knowingly. He didn't argue or act uneasy. He already knew that Essix was helping enhance Rollan's intuition, for the Deepseer she was. "The parts have been scattered across the Place of Desolation, as a means of security. We will have to find them before we can proceed to face the Wyrm," His eyes darkened. "And there will be enemies- many enemies none have seen before. They will be strong and ruthless, so you must be ready for countless of battles,"

His words sounded like an ominous warning, a prophecy of what was yet to come. Rollan felt a shudder run up his back at the thought of fighting monsters- monsters of the Wyrm, monsters of Sadre, who knew?

"Is that why you made us train?" Anuqi asked suspiciously. Shane gave her a nod.

"You must be efficient. Even with what I know of the place, there will be many dangers, not just from enemies. Stick with your groups, and don't stray from each other. Kirat, you can join Rollan's team."

Kirat scowled. "I don't need a team. I'll stand alone-" He was interrupted when Rollan abruptly stood up.

"Look Kirat," Rollan began, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. He was raging, furious, and frustrated that Kirat was still acting like an ignorant spoiled brat. He remembered the pendant Reima, Tarik's beloved sister and Kirat's mother, had given him. She had told him to give it to her son when he was 'ready'. Rollan doubted Kirat would ever be 'ready', no matter what that meant. He was fairly certain being 'ready' didn't mean being a spoiled rich kid who thought that he was the best at everything and that everyone else was inferior to him.

"I know you're the son of a wealthy merchant, and the nephew of Tarik, but you've got to stop acting like a massive blockhead." He scowled. "You're no longer the son of a merchant. Throw away your status for a moment and _think_ will you? Not everything is about money, good food and luxuries. There will be hardships, and a lot of pain. This journey pretty much proves that point. And standing alone like you're the king of the world won't help you or everyone else around you,"

Kirat's eyes flashed. "Don't-"

Rollan slammed his fist on the table. Kirat didn't seem to be getting his point, and that made him want to punch something, anything. His patience was wearing short. He was wary of the other's eyes on him, but he didn't care.

"I'm telling you to stop being such a brat!" He snapped, fueled by his rage. His troubles, his worries and his memories of Tarik, of everything that had happened and was happening spilled from his mind. He wanted to scream at the obnoxious boy. Yell at him, push some blame on him. But he controlled himself. Essix' talons squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. She was still there, ready to guide him.

"Zerif took your home. Your parents might be _dead_ ," Kirat flinched at that, his eyes shadowed with a hint of grief. "Don't you remember that they fought so that you could get away? They want you to _live._ They protected you. Your mother, Reima, entrusted your wellbeing to _me._ " Rollan saw Abeke press her lips together, her eyes narrowed. He put a hand on her shoulder. "To _us_ ,"

Kirat stayed silent, looking at his plate. Cabaro was sitting up beside him, his great head well above the height of the table. The lion was glaring balefully at Rollan. The boy opened his mouth to speak, but Rollan beat him to it.

"Don't you even _start_ with me about how it was _our_ fault all that happened. Zerif would have come for you anyway. You wouldn't even _be_ here now," He snapped at Kirat. The boy slammed his mouth shut. Essix screeched in agreement, and she glared back at the lion, holding his stare until he broke away, uneasy.

"So stop being a nuisance, and start being more open. You have to learn how to work in a team. Sure, you have some skills in sword fighting, but that won't be enough. Not enough to defeat Zerif _or_ the Wyrm." Rollan glanced across the table, looking at every one of the children, before settling his gaze back on Kirat.

"Working together with others will give you better advantages. The others can cover your weaknesses; you can aid them with your strengths. This will be a long and difficult road, with many obstacles we need to conquer." Rollan suddenly felt a whole lot like Conor, giving lectures and guiding them all. _If he were here, he would be saying all this stuff._ Perhaps Meilin would too, if she were with them.

"You want to be a leader don't you?" He said simply, staring at Kirat straight in the eye. The boy nodded numbly. "Then learn how to be in a team. You can't be a leader if you're alone," Rollan's voice softened. Perhaps he had scolded enough. "Your mother would want you to have friends at the very least,"

Kirat blinked at him, his eyes misty, tears at the edges of his eyes. He rubbed them, wiping away the tears, and held his head slightly higher. "Very well then. I shall join your... team," he said. Rollan gave him a quick smile of satisfaction, before sitting back down. He suddenly felt awkward, having had the others heard what he said, and coughed.

"That goes for the rest of you too," he muttered. Essix crooned in his ear, in an almost teasing manner, and nuzzled his hair with her beak.

The children all nodded, expressions thoughtful, determined, and slightly scared. The task ahead of them was daunting, but if they worked together, they would be able to pull through.

Then suddenly, the cabin door opened. Stead stood there, his ram eyes glittering under his mask. "King, the destination has been sighted. Arrival is estimated to be another ten minutes," he reported. Shane stood up, nodding to his right-hand man.

"Very well. Come, we shall wait outside."

Rollan stood, leaving the cabin, and went onto the deck, staring out at sea. In the distance, he saw a large, sprawling island with barren ground and sheer rocky cliffs. There was not a single sign of vegetation on the island.

After another few more minutes, the ship finally reached the shore. Rollan went down onto the grey sands, his pack crammed with supplies, his daggers sheathed at the hip, and a few smaller knives tucked in his boots. He stared up at the large mountains of the island.

Abeke stood beside him, her bow and quiver of arrows strapped to her back. She had her fully equipped pack slung on her shoulders as well. "I can see why this place is called the Place of Desolation," she murmured, eyes roving across the scenery. Rollan could see it too.

The entire island was deserted, and desolate. There was no life, not even a small lizard, or a single bird. Rollan was faintly reminded of Nightshade Island, which he went to to retrieve the white conch which could call the Kingray and take them to Mulop so they could get his talisman, back on Oceanus. The island had been shrouded in a dense horrifying fog, and everything had been petrified. The Place of Desolation was just like that, minus the creepy mist.

Shane lead them to an opening in one of the mountains, a cave entrance which looked to Rollan like the yawning mouth of a monster. There were stairs there which led down, and they descended, cautiously stepping on the old, carved stone.

Eventually, after much climbing, they reached a door. It was a stone-like door, carved into the rock itself. Shane pushed at it, but it didn't budge. Stead went forward and pushed as well, the two men leaning their weight on the stone. The door made an odd grinding noise, then popped open with sudden ease.

They went in, and Rollan gasped. Every where around them was a sprawling ancient city, all in ruins. He could see the faded paint of the buildings, the moss on the bricks, the wear and tear of the walls. The ceiling was vaulted, with luminous mushrooms growing at the top. He saw machines, murals. The place was the ruins of a civilisation.

"Welcome," Shane said, gesturing at the ruins. "To the secret city of the Hellans. This was where they built the weapon, and hid it, somewhere further and deeper out there. The name of this city," He glanced back at the group.

"Is Oliveria."

* * *

 _A/N So they reach the Place of Desolation and find the city some of the Hellans lived in while building the weapon. The weapon and city, of course, is purely fanmade. I don't even know what the real weapon is like, or how the Place of Desolation is like as well. But, because this is a fanfiction, these are my thoughts! Next chapter, we go to Lina, who has a... dream! A special dream. Thanks for reading guys! Keep a lookout for the next chapter! ;)_

 ** _Reviews motivate me to work faster, so do review! I would love to know what my readers think. Don't give me a cold silence! Don't be shy too! :)_**


	9. 9 - BELLS

_A/N Hey guys, I'm back! In the previous chapter, Abeke and Rollan reach the Place of Desolation. In this chapter, we go to Lina, who has a strange dream under the influence of Mulop! What will it be? Read on to find out! Enjoy! :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Lina remembered arriving at the Place of Desolation and seeing the Hellans' city Oliveria. She remembered sticking close to Tasha, with Mulop clutching at her back, his tentacles wrapped around her body, as they descended. They had walked through the ruins of the city, taking in the sights, as well as staying on guard.

Then King had asked for them to take a break. A rest. The day had been long, the children weary, and Lina had sat on the gravel, Mulop sliding down into her arms. She remembered just sitting there, patting her octopus's bulbous orange head, watching the other children doze off, Abeke and Rollan conversing with King quietly.

She definitely did not remember arriving to a monastery in what seemed like Nilo.

She was in a large courtyard, bald monks and a few nuns walking past her. It was like they couldn't even see her there. She spun around, only seeing vast expanses of sand and stone. And some trees and plants. Somewhere in the distance, Lina heard the sound of rushing water, indicating that a river was nearby.

She spun around, trying to get her bearings. Why was she here? How was it even possible? She had been on an uncharted island, trying to find the weapon which could-

A tentacle wrapped around, calming her. Lina looked down, surprised, and saw Mulop next to her. "Where are we Mulop?" She asked, picking up her octopus. The orange marine creature gratefully settled on her back, his tentacles wrapped around her waist and shoulders. Obviously it had hurt sitting on the scorching sands.

"We are in a dream, dearest Lina. A dream, a dream, a little dream visit. To who, you might ask? To our dear friend Takoda of course," Mulop gurgled in a bubbly voice. Lina, somehow, didn't feel surprised to hear the Great Octopus speak outside, not telepathically.

"But why a monastery? That is because he is a monk. So many fond, and not so fond memories he has of this place," Mulop went on, then pointed a tentacle towards the bell tower in the distance. "Where is he? In that tower up there,"

 _A dream visit?_ Lina had not expected that. "You can even do these kinds of things?" Lina asked the octopus wonderingly, patting his tentacles. Mulop poked her head, then gestured to his.

"You and I share a bond now, although it is tearing. But how is it even possible? That is because I was one of the greatest seers amongst my fellow, fallen siblings," he gurgled, then pressed against her back, urging her forward, towards the bell tower.

"I see... Like how you can talk to me telepathically?" Lina asked, walking forward.

"Of course of course!" The octopus answered cheerily.

"But why are we here?" She asked, curious. And why head for the bell tower? Were they going to ring the bell?

"To see Takoda, and my clever brother Kovo. It is an idea of mine, I and me. Better to talk to them personally to know their condition first-hand no?" Mulop said, his green eyes blinking.

"Of course Mulop," Lina said with a smile, and reached the door of the bell tower. As she went to open the door, the bell suddenly rang.

 _Goooong!_

Lina started, looking up the tower in amazement. She had never heard bells before, especially not one so loud. The sound reverberated through her entire being, ringing in her ears, echoing through the air.

 _Goooong!_

She opened the door and stepped in to what looked like a lobby. There was a spiral of stairs at the side of the room, leading up, up and up.

 _Goooong!_

Lina looked up the stairs, wondering who was ringing the bell. She braced herself for another ring, but it didn't come. Instead there was an echo of faint footsteps. They were followed by heavy stomping. A voice drifted down to her, but she couldn't make out the words.

The footsteps and stomps came closer, and Lina took a step back, waiting for whoever was coming down. It definitely had to be the bell-ringer.

A young boy who looked about the same age as her came down, wearing the clothing of a monk's. His head was shaven, and there was a lively look on his face, accompanied by a cheerful smile. Lina thought that he had to be pretty young to be ringing a bell, and wondered who he was.

Until she saw the ape that came down after him.

The very appearance of the gorilla instilled a fear in Lina's heart. He was large, with thick bands of muscle on his arms and throughout his body. His back shone with silver fur, indicating that he was a silverback gorilla. But what frightened her were his eyes. They were small, and a malevolent red.

She knew there was only one ape in the world who had red eyes.

Kovo.

 _Then that means the boy is Takoda,_ Lina realised. The bond seemed so unlikely- Takoda looked like an innocent young boy. Kovo looked like a monstrous brute.

"Come on Kovo," Takoda said, gesturing for the ape. Kovo sniffed, then paused. He sniffed the air again, and turned to face Lina, where she was standing at a shadowed corner of the room.

"It appears you have a... visitor," Kovo rumbled, his voice sending shocks up Lina' spine. Takoda blinked at him, and followed his gaze, finally spotting Lina.

"Oh!" He gasped, and a flicker of uncertainty appeared on his face. "Hello... Who are you?" He asked, looking her up and down, taking in her foreign appearance.

Lina opened her mouth to speak, when Mulop slid down her back and went forward. Takoda's jaw dropped open, and he linked two and two together.

"Are you the summoner of Mulop the Octopus?" He gasped. Lina nodded.

"I am Lina of Oceanus. I assume you are Takoda?" She introduced, stepping forward as well. The boy seemed slightly dazed.

"Yes. Wait. What's happening? Why are you here?" He blurted, glancing around the room wildly.

"This is but a dream, Takoda. A little dream visit from me, I and also Lina," Mulop answered before Lina could, waving a tentacle at him. The octopus pointed at Kovo.

"As you can see I have also brought Kovo here. For what reason, you may ask? So I may talk to him as well. It has been so long, my dear friend. Far too long," Kovo snorted in amusement.

"That may be true Mulop. You have always been the tricky one," he grumbled. Mulop waved a tentacle in his face in dismissal.

"I am tricky? Ah, but you are devious, dearest brother. So mischievous and ambitious," he gurgled back. Kovo let out an almost human chuckle.

"A dream?" Takoda echoed, his face stricken with sadness. "Then I'm not really in Nilo? I'm not back home?" Lina shook her head.

"Let's sit down first, then talk," she suggested. Takoda sighed, nodding and leading her to another room. There was a table there with a few chairs, and they settled down. Mulop settled on the table top, while Kovo sat on the ground with a loud thump.

"I thought what was happening now, where I am, was just a dream..." Takoda whispered, his gaze faraway. "I thought our predicament underground was false, that I was just dreaming of something crazy." He rubbed a temple, sighing through his nose. "So _this_ is the dream..." he muttered.

"Do not be so disappointed, Takoda. This _dream_ of yours will become a reality soon," Kovo huffed, putting a gentle hand on the boy's back. Lina was surprised to see such a gentle side of Kovo. Takoda nodded, smiling tiredly at the ape.

"So... Care to explain what's going on on your side?" Takoda asked.

"I am with Abeke and Rollan. They have managed to rescue the summoners of Ninani and Cabaro, but failed to rescue Tellun. The other children whose spirit animals were stolen are with us as well," she said. Takoda's eyes widened with astonishment.

"Uraza has been... enslaved," Lina continued quietly. Takoda gasped, his fists clenching. Kovo appeared rather disturbed by the news. "Not only that, Greenhaven has fallen,"

"That's..." Takoda was at a loss for words. His hand reached down to Kovo, and the ape clutched it, squeezing gently.

"Zerif is the man behind the scenes. Currently we are with the Redcloaks, a group of people with superhuman powers and use masks to hide their true identity. They are allies, having the same goal of destroying the Wyrm," Lina said. Takoda appeared slightly less panicked, but the worry was still in his eyes.

"Can they really be trusted, these Redcloaks?" he mused. Lina nodded.

"Abeke and Rollan know who their leader is, so yes,"

Takoda closed his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed. "Meilin will... not be happy about this," he whispered. "And so will Conor," He covered his face with a hand, his elbow propped up on the table. "I will tell them about this,"

"That's not all. We are in a Hellan city called Oliveria, searching for the weapon which can destroy the Wyrm. After that we will head down to the Evertree's roots." Lina said. Takoda's eyes widened with shock.

"The weapon? It's real? It really exists?!" He cried out, a light of hope entering his eyes. Kovo grunted.

"Of course it does. I was the one who told the Hellans to create the weapon after all. I assume you are in the Place of Desolation?" The ape said, his red eyes boring into Lina's own brown ones. She nodded uneasily.

"How do you know about the weapon?" Lina asked. Takoda recounted their entire adventure underground, saying that the elders of Phos Astos mentioned a weapon capable of destroying the Wyrm.

"If we can get the weapon... Everything will be alright!" He gasped. "All those controlled will be freed, and Conor won't have to go to the Wyrm!"

"Ah I see. So it is true. I am sorry," Mulop sighed, looking sad. Lina stared at her octopus in bewilderment.

"'Go to the Wyrm'?" She repeated, confused. "What do you mean?" Takoda stiffened, and bit his lip nervously.

"Well... The Wyrm... has been sending its minions, the Many, to chase us. The Many are-"

"I know what the Many are," Lina cut in. "Mulop told me. I just want to know why,"

Takoda gulped. Kovo had a snarl on his face, and slammed a fist on the floor, cracking it slightly. "The Wyrm is chasing us because of Conor. It... It wants him," he confessed. Lina felt her eyebrows shoot up.

"It wants him? Why?" She asked, unable to hold back her gasp. The monk sighed in an almost defeated manner.

"Conor's been fighting the Wyrm for weeks. Maybe it's already been a month. It's hard to count time in a place of complete darkness," he said softly. "The Wyrm is already fed up with trying to fight back. And now it wants to control him immediately, instead of having to wait longer. The parasite inside him has almost reached his forehead but Conor's still fighting."

"The Wyrm is annoyed by that..."

"So the Wyrm just wants him so it can force Conor to become one of its servants instantly?" Lina asked, horrified. Takoda gave a helpless shrug, his shoulders slumping.

"Kind of. Conor... He's been trying to persuade Meilin to leave him behind. She's the only reason why he's trying to fight and is staying with us," He said.

"But Meilin doesn't want to let him go?" Lina said. Takoda nodded miserably.

"She's very stubborn. I can understand her intentions though. I know Conor is her friend and they really care for each other but... As much as I hate to say it but I think leaving Conor behind is the best solution. Even _he_ says so," he admitted nervously.

Lina pondered for a moment. "So, to summarise, you're being chased by the Wyrm's minions because Conor's with you... And his condition is worsening," she said. Takoda nodded.

"I don't know how long it's been, but we've already been chased four times. The Many don't ever rest it seems," he said. "The good thing is we're getting closer to the Wyrm. Bit by bit. Conor says that we're going in the right direction,"

"Using the friend of Briggan to sense the Wyrm will only make him succumb faster," Mulop warned. "Why? Because he is using the connection he has with the Wyrm to locate it. The Wyrm will seep into his mind bit by bit, then-" the octopus paused and bunched three tentacles together, like a shell. Then he made a sound effect which sounded like an explosion- one underwater, to be more precise- and his wrapped tentacles flew apart in a single fluid motion.

"He will lose himself, and everything he knows."

Takoda's dark Niloan skin had become pale. "What should I do? What should _we_ do?" He whispered numbly. Kovo snorted, as if that was the dumbest thing he had ever heard.

"I keep telling you to leave him behind. He is cursed- will remain cursed- until this problem is fixed. I suggested throwing him into the Sulfur Sea and let the eels have him, but you always say no. And this is what happens," he growled. Takoda looked rather ashamed.

"But if I do that, Meilin will have my head. Conor is her friend, and almost like a brother to her from what I see," he said awkwardly, eyes glancing towards Lina.

"I'll have _her_ cranky head before she even goes near you," the ape said haughtily. Takoda seemed rather surprised, but then frowned.

"No Kovo. We need them to _trust_ us, not hate us. If you do that, Meilin is bound to dislike you even more. And me too," he said. Kovo sniffed, shifting his position so that his back was facing Takoda in defiance.

"Stubborn Kovo. Always the intense one," Mulop bubbled, his voice tinged with laughter and a teasing tone. The ape whipped his head and glared at the octopus, nostrils flaring with rage, before settling back into his foul mood, ignoring everything.

"I will be sure to tell Abeke and Rollan about your situation. In turn, please tell Meilin and Conor about ours. We should be able to meet up soon, at the base of the Evertree's roots," Lina said. She rested a hand on Mulop's head, patting him gently. The octopus gurgled with pleasure. Takoda nodded. He glanced outside the small window and saw the sunlight streaming in.

"Oh!" He gasped, getting up. "I have to ring the bell again," He began making his way to the door, Kovo getting up and following him. Then he paused and turned around, giving Lina a nervous smile. "Would you care to join me?"

Lina brightened, smiling back as she stood up and trailed after him. They climbed up the steps of the tower, Mulop clinging onto her back, Kovo walking up two steps at a time. They eventually reached the top of the tower, and Lina gasped when she saw what looked like a massive gong sitting in the middle of the room.

Takoda headed for it, grabbing the large stick with a cloth-bound top resting at the side. "You might want to brace yourself. And cover your ears. This will be very loud," he said to Lina, giving a reassuring smile. Lina nodded, putting her hands over her ears, staring in wonder as Takoda swung the stick at the gong.

 _Goooong!_

She inhaled sharply, hearing the sound shake her to the very depths of her soul. It was a beautiful sound. She wondered if the whole of Oceanus would be able to hear the bell if she brought it there and rung it.

 _Goooong!_

Her vision turned blurry, and Lina blinked, confused. Takoda's arms and body melded together into a blob, and she reached out, wondering what was happening. Her body itched, and she had the sensation of something hard on her back, instead of Mulop.

 _Goooong!_

"Takoda!" She cried. The boy turned, and he too seemed a little stunned. Lina's vision swayed, rocking side to side, and the floor seemed to give way under her. _It's time to wake up, children._ That was Mulop's voice.

As Lina fell, reaching up for the light of Nilo, the echoes of the bell rang in her ears, resounding far, yet seemed so near.

It was like a sound of thunder.

She opened her mouth to yell-

-and woke up.

* * *

 _A/N So! A little dream visit to Takoda... I have no idea if that is even possible, but I thought since Mulop could use telepathy he could do that too. I dunno. It is merely fanfiction after all xD Next chapter, we go to Conor, who is struggling still underground with Meilin and Takoda. What will happen there? Lookout for the next chapter! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews help me work faster, so do review! I want to hear your thoughts! Anything I can do to improve?_**


	10. 10 - DESPAIR

_A/N Hey guys! I'm back! In the previous chapter, Lina dream visits Takoda! In this chapter, we go to Conor, who is suffering and trying to survive, along with Meilin and Takoda himself. What will happen to them? Read on to find out! Enjoy! :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot. And Lina, somewhat._**

* * *

Conor was running.

Running down a withered field, running into a dead forest. Running across a leaf-littered path, branches stretched out, clawing at him. Ravens cawed, leaping into the sky as he streaked past. Twigs snapped after his stamping feet, crying out in their pained cracked voices. Wherever he looked, he only saw eyes.

Pale, white eyes, oogling at him. The pupils were spirals.

Black, pulsing spirals, twisting and throbbing.

 _Why am I running?_ He had no idea. It was merely wild, animalistic instinct- he just had to _run_.

He sensed something, hot on his heels, with a slathering jaw and sharp fangs. He heard footsteps, thudding behind him. A snarl. A howl.

Above, a full moon.

He burst out of the forest, stumbling, crashing and rolling. He had to get away. The footsteps followed him, and he heard the cries for blood. _His_ blood. He heard shouts, screams, the hate in them overwhelming.

Then he realised where he was.

The fields of Trunswick. He saw his little house where his family lived. Where he had spent his childhood.

But it was burning.

Flames licked at the wooden walls, devouring them. He heard screams- the screams of his mother. His father bellowed, fear in his voice. His brothers cried.

"Conor!" His mother screamed for him, in that little hut. " _Conor_!"

Conor felt his feet move, move to the burning house. He kicked down the door, saw the messed up living room.

Saw Zerif, with the Wyrm's parasite pulsing on his forehead, holding his mother by the neck, a bloodied sword in his hand. His mother was motionless, her eyes vacant. Behind her, his father and brothers lay dead on the ground.

 _No!_ He screamed in his mind. _Get away from my family!_ But his feet didn't move. Instead, as Zerif turned to see who was standing at the door, his mouth curved into a cruel grin. _What's happening?!_

Zerif saw him, and threw his mother's body onto the ground. Then, to Conor's surprise, the man knelt, his head bowed. His spiraled forehead touched the ground. "I shall serve you. Use me as you desire," he said. Pledging his loyalty.

Conor was horrified. He tried to stumble away, tried to scream. Tried to kick the man who killed his family in the face. But his lips betrayed him, his body motionless. The smile on his face grew wider, more wicked. _NO! What's happening? Why is this_ happening _?!_

His body turned against his will, and he moved down the fields. The Many, servants of the Wyrm, poured out of buildings, out of the ground. He saw a Wyrm-controlled Greencloak army marching behind him, their spirit animals crying and screeching. At the distance, he saw a ruined Greenhaven, its castle walls crumbling into ashes.

The controlled Great Beasts came out, one by one in their spirit animal forms. Halawir, Suka and Arax. Gerathon, Rumfuss, Tellun and Dinesh. Then Uraza- _Abeke's_ Uraza- slunk out, at the lead. _Why is Uraza here?_ He cried in despair. His face cracked into a smirk. An arrogant smirk.

He had no control over his body anymore.

Then he saw his friends. Meilin, the stubborn one, the one who took care of him. Rollan, his best friend. And Abeke, poor, poor Abeke. A chilling howl split the air. A howl he recognised and grew to love.

Briggan- his spirit animal, his wolf- loped forward, teeth bared, hackles raised. His blue eyes were wild with fury, and in the depths of them, he saw sadness. Pleading.

Those eyes struck Conor deep in the heart, and he sobbed despairingly. Of course, his body did no such thing. Instead, his hand went to his ax, his fingers loosening the collar of his shirt.

And he saw the spiral.

It was marked on his chest, nestled between his collarbones, throbbing with that same life he had seen in all the other controlled victims. It looped in the same shape over and over. Conor felt that same terror and fear, that disgust and loathing.

His heart had been taken by the Wyrm.

And very soon, his mind would too. Why?

Why was he different from the other victims?

 _I am you and you are me,_ a whispering voice echoed in his head. It had a slithery tone to it, and he shuddered. He felt a presence lurking at the back of his head, a darkness pressing at his conscience. Suffocating his very soul.

 _I have taken your body. I took your heart. All that's left is your mind._

 _Then your soul, your entire being, will belong to me forever._

Conor wanted to scream. The Wyrm _itself_ was inside him, slowly taking over his body, forcing him to watch as he attacked his friends, as he did now. He charged, and the army behind him followed his lead. His friends, went forward as well, leading a bedraggled group of children. He saw Dawson, his face streaked with tears. Devin, shouting something. Karmo, the Niloan boy, getting thrown back by Rumfuss.

Masked men with red cloaks followed his friends. A man with a faceless mask was at the lead.

Something was familiar about him. Like Conor had seen him before.

His friends screamed for him, Meilin bellowing, Rollan pleading. Abeke crying. His heart cracked as he faced them, his body moving unnaturally, with the grace, speed and power of the Great Beast spirit animals the Wyrm had controlled. He striked down Dawson- poor Dawson, crying for Rumfuss. Devin roared and charged him, and Conor's hand shot out and grabbed him by the neck.

He heard the sickening sound of bones snapping, and Devin fell, limp. Karmo cried, and the Great Boar impaled him with a tusk.

Conor turned to his friends. Jhi and Essix were there. Briggan too, standing in front of Abeke. His body whirled into motion. He sunk his ax deep into Jhi's body, accurately through the heart. Meilin screamed, as Jhi bellowed with heartbreaking pain.

 _I don't need all fifteen of the Great Beasts to be powerful._

 _I am_ already _invincible._ The Wyrm laughed.

Conor felt sick to the stomach. Jhi's blood splattered on his face as the panda collapsed. Meilin ran over, screaming in agony, tears rolling down her cheeks. Essix screeched in fury and dived at Conor's face. Rollan cried for her to stop.

Conor's hand grabbed Essix by the neck. He tucked his ax back into his belt, holding the thrashing falcon. His head turned, looking a stricken Rollan dead in the eye. A menacing grin spread across his face.

He grabbed one of Essix's wings and yanked it with such force that it ripped away from her body. Essix screeched in pain, and Rollan shrieked, running forward. Conor kicked the boy in the gut with his heel, and slowly, slowly, crushed Essix's neck. He dropped the limp falcon, and Rollan cried in grief, holding his spirit animal's body.

Blood was all over his body, staining him bright scarlet red. He screamed, he kicked out, trying to regain control of his body, trying to fight back.

Darkness overwhelmed his mind, trapping him in its hold. Drowning him in evil.

Conor's body moved and he saw Briggan, whimpering, and Abeke, her eyes wide with fear. He approached them slowly, ignoring Meilin and Rollan as they mourned their dead partners. The animals he killed with no mercy.

 _No stop!_ He sobbed. _Not Briggan too! Please no!_

The Wyrm chuckled, a sound so deep and loud, resounding through his mind. _Foolish child. If you wish to see no part of this, I shall grant that wish for you._

 _Give me your soul._

Conor thrashed as his body moved, step by step. The darkness crushed him, squeezing the life out of him. Destroying him.

His life flashed before his eyes, but the images slowly disappeared.

Then everything was blank. He stared at the wolf before him, and the dark-skinned girl behind it. He took out his ax.

Howls, screeches, and tears of grief. He saw an ape, with a boy hanging on his back, being overwhelmed by his army. He stepped away, back into the fray.

Away from the dead body of the wolf which lay at his feet.

A laugh sounded, deep in his mind, as he hacked and slashed. A girl with black hair and a striking face came at him with a quarterstaff. A boy as well, wielding daggers. They seemed to know him. But he was very sure he didn't know them.

Soon, as time passed, the battlefield dyed red with blood, he stood alone. Everywhere he looked, he only saw dead bodies.

The two children from before lay at his feet, having been slain by him. At their side was another girl, with dark hair and skin. She too, had screamed at him, begged him. But her words were meaningless.

He stared at the sky. It was night.

There were no stars, no clouds.

Only the moon, dyed red as well.

He stepped away from the bodies, the remaining of his army following him loyally. The three children had known him. But he didn't know them. Why? Were they related? Were they family? Friends? He didn't know, couldn't remember. He only knew he was a servant. He was forever loyal to the creature residing in the depths of his mind. He had no need for any other emotion except devotion.

But as he walked across the stained fields, his curiosity was still piqued. He wanted to know. Who were they?

 _And most importantly... Who am_ I _?_

* * *

Conor awoke, screaming. His heart thudded violently against his chest, threatening to burst out. Tears streamed down his face as he gasped for air, his hair and skin slick with sweat. His hands trembled as he stared at them. Images flashed across his mind.

His hands had been bloodied. Covered in that gruesome red colour. The blood of Essix and Jhi. The blood of Meilin, Abeke and Rollan. The blood of _Briggan_.

 _I couldn't remember him,_ he thought, feeling lightheaded. _I couldn't remember anyone. I couldn't even remember myself._

 _I killed all of them._

Nausea rose in his throat at the memory of the dream- no, _nightmare_. Everything had been covered in blood. _Everyone_. Especially him, with the blood of those he loved.

His throat burned, his eyes watered. His head throbbed, and his chest ached. Conor pulled his hands to his chest, drawing his legs together, and buried his face in his knees. He pushed down the nausea bubbling in his throat. He could never trust himself ever again.

A wet nose nudged his bicep.

Conor knew that it was Briggan, but he didn't want to face the wolf. _I killed my own spirit animal. I didn't even remember him._ He pushed down a sob. _I don't deserve him caring for me._

There was a whine, then paws- heavy familiar paws- were placed on his back. They thumped him, trying to get his attention. A tongue rasped across his neck, and there was another whine, more urgent than the previous. Conor refused to lift his head, instead pulling his body closer to him.

Then a bark blasted in his ear. Conor cringed as Briggan kept barking, trying to get him to react in some way. The barks were tinged with sadness, and the wolf batted him with a paw.

Conor still refused to look up, and the barks quietened, becoming mournful whimpers. Conor heard footsteps coming towards him, and tensed as they stopped directly in front of him. Hands- Meilin's strong hands, no doubt- grabbed his shoulders and shoved him towards the wall.

Conor's back slammed against the rock, and Meilin held him there despite his squirming. She sat defiantly on his legs, keeping them there.

"Meilin," Conor murmured weakly, lowering his gaze. He lay slumped against the wall, and the Zhongese let go of his shoulders, but continued to sit on him.

"Briggan is worried about you Conor! What happened to you? Why are you pushing him away?" She paused, adding a stern glare. "Why are you pushing _us_ away?" Jhi lumbered up beside her, her silver eyes wide and caring. The panda grunted sadly.

Conor kept silent, unable to look Meilin in the eye. There was a flood of guilt in his mind as he recalled his earlier refusal to Briggan's calls. "Look at me when I speak to you!" Meilin snapped, this time grabbing his head and tilting it up.

He forced himself to look at her. He could see the eye bags under her wide, furious eyes. Her disheveled hair, which had used to be so neat and prim. Her palms were calloused as she cupped his face, probably from all the training she received. She had become thinner, the few fats in her cheeks lost after days of eating inadequately.

Meilin must have seen something in his eyes, as she froze, her gaze saddened, her fury earlier deflating. "... What kind of dream did you have?"

It was Conor's turn to freeze up. _My dream..._

Immediately, the nauseous feeling returned, and he clutched his head. His vision was swimming with black spots as he recalled the nightmare so vividly. The blood- everywhere, staining everything.

"Conor?" Meilin said, touching his forehead. She had let go of his face. Conor forced his head to stay there as he shook it, unwilling to say anything.

"It's nothing. You wouldn't understand anyway," he muttered, blinking in defeat. He knew Meilin understood the feeling of being in no control over her own body, but he was pretty certain she had no idea how it felt to be enslaved and then wiped of all her memories. Forced to kill those she had loved immediately after that, especially her own spirit animal.

He didn't voice any of those out, though, when Meilin vehemently protested. "Of course I understand what you're going through! I was controlled by Gerathon," she argued. Conor shook his head, now lowering his gaze again.

"It's different Meilin. The Wyrm is more powerful than Gerathon. It's different for me," he whispered, knowing fully well how lost his voice sounded. Meilin stiffened, and she seemed to be struggling with herself. There was a pang in her eyes which Conor recognised.

There was a soft whimper, and Conor turned to see Briggan hunched beside him, some distance away. The wolf looked miserable, his gaze on the ground.

Conor felt even more guilty for not responding to Briggan. "Briggan?" He whispered, calling for his wolf. The Great Wolf didn't move, instead slumping even more, almost lying down. "Brig?" Conor tried the nickname he had so fondly given him.

Yet Briggan didn't budge, settling on the ground, curled up, and turned so his back was facing him.

Conor winced at the rejection and tried to go to the wolf, but remembered that Meilin was sitting on his legs. The Zhongese started, sensing that he wanted to move, and got up.

He crawled over to Briggan, and put a hand on his scruff. The wolf tensed up a bit at the touch, and Conor felt even more guilty. Maybe Briggan didn't trust him anymore. Or worse, didn't _want_ him. "Briggan? Hey, I'm sorry. I... wasn't in my right mind," he said, hesitantly scratching the wolf behind the ears.

Briggan let out an affectionate growl, and turned his head to lick at his hand. Conor smiled wearily. The wolf got into sitting position and began nuzzling him. Conor wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He breathed in the smell of Briggan's silver-gray coat. Somehow it smelled of undergrowth and rocks, like the wolf had gone to the mountains. He ran a hand through his thick fur, relishing the softness of it, and the comfortable feeling.

Briggan licked at his face, and Conor chuckled softly. He held the wolf's face and stared deep into his cobalt blue eyes. Briggan held his gaze warmly.

 _Briggan's eyes, filled with sadness and pleading._

Conor froze, and the wolf whimpered, nudging his shoulder. _Briggan's body dead before him, his ax dripping with blood._

 _Briggan's blood._

Again that nausea came, stronger than before. Conor covered his mouth, hunching down, trying to suppress the sensation. He breathed heavily, squeezing his eyes shut as sweat trickled down his face.

He felt the Wyrm, throbbing at his cheek, forcing its way up, up and up, trying to claim him. Darkness roiled in his mind, pulling his subconscious towards it. His body shuddered, the nausea hovering at the edge of his throat. Conor clamped his mouth shut even more tightly.

"Conor?" Came Meilin's voice, and she crouched beside him. Briggan whined, nudging him still. "Conor, what's wrong?" Meilin asked gently.

Conor managed a shake of his head. His body was trembling non-stop, his breathing laboured. His hands were already slick with sweat.

 _His hands, covered in the blood of his friends._

He wondered why such a dream even came to him. Was it a prophetic dream? Or a normal nightmare? Perhaps an omen of what was to come. _Does that mean I'll end up killing everyone?_ Conor didn't dare think of anything other than that.

The darkness probed around at the back of his mind, and he fought it, kicking and lashing, trying to send it away. Flashes of pain appeared here and there.

He sensed Jhi nearby, radiating her usual calm and warmth. He felt her presence enter his mind.

And the darkness lunged forward to attack her.

 _No!_ Conor screamed internally, and grabbed at the darkness, trying to pull it back before it hurt the panda. Jhi immediately withdrew, and she made a soft whimper, silver eyes wide with fear. "Jhi, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Meilin said, concerned for her spirit animal.

 _His ax, buried deep in Jhi's chest, piercing her kind heart._

Conor let out a muffled sob, tears pooling in his eyes. His chest constricted, and he was very certain he heard mocking laughter in his head. Briggan's furry body leaned against him, providing warmth. His blood felt icy, even though his skin burned like the sun was on it.

"What's going on?" Came Takoda's bleary voice as the boy woke up from his slumber, when they had stopped to rest after being chased around by the Many and the cyrix.

Conor glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

 _Takoda and Kovo, overwhelmed by the Many, the Greencloaks and their spirit animals._

The ape was seated beside Takoda, his red eyes catching Conor's gaze. Kovo narrowed his eyes, grunting. Conor grimaced.

Conor tried to calm down. _It was just a dream. Perhaps it's not prophetic._ He pushed away all the images of the gory nightmare, shoving it back into the depths of his mind. The darkness slowly dissipated, and the Wyrm calmed too. His nerves settled, the nausea retreating.

He took in a deep breath.

And the crippling pain came. Conor collapsed on the ground, writhing, and the darkness came back, whispering tauntingly. His vision flickered, from stone to a bloodied battlefield and back to stone again.

In his mind flashed the image of the Many, the cyrix looming behind them.

 _You can't run forever,_ they mocked, their screams ringing in his head. He felt the darkness pull, hard, nearly wrenching his consciousness from his body. He barely clung on, and his insides flipped with agony.

Conor felt the Wyrm squirm, and with it came more pain. Bone-crushing, breath-stealing pain. Now he understood how he had passed out when the Evertree contracted its roots. Combined with the pain from the Wyrm, his body had been in too much stress to handle. And with his mind in such a shambled state, he fell unconscious.

 _I will have you soon,_ the Wyrm cackled maliciously, whispers in the darkness of his mind. Conor choked on his breath, his bones straining, muscles screaming from the stress of the Wyrm trying to control him and him trying to fight back.

Conor wasn't even aware of what was around him anymore. He screamed in anguish, tears streaming down his face as he shuddered on the ground, spasming uncontrollably. In his mind, he saw the Many. They approached him, their teeth bared, claws out, white soulless eyes staring at him.

The cyrix wrapped its tentacles around his shivering form as the Many pulled him to it, shredding his green cloak, gashing his arm and cheeks with their claws. He thrashed in its hold as it dragged him into its cold void-like body. Then it engulfed him.

Conor gasped in pain. His stomach lurched over and over, and the sickness ravaged his body.

He fought it all back with every ounce of his strength. Fighting, kicking, lashing out at the Wyrm. Cursing it.

At last, the Wyrm calmed, and he lay on the ground trembling, drenched in cold sweat. "They're coming again," he managed to rasp out, and through his hazy vision he saw black hair and blue eyes.

In the distance, there was a clamour of screams. Hungry sounds. Footsteps pounded on the ground around him, and a hairy hand grabbed his arm, pulling him up.

Dazed, Conor could only stay limp as he was hoisted onto Kovo's back, the ape's coarse hair tickling his skin. He heard shouts from Meilin, and there came the sound of thwacks. Enraged screeching followed after.

The Many had arrived.

The darkness continued to press against Conor's head, and he whimpered in pain. _I can't do anything._ Takoda's scream rang in his ears, and after a moment, there was a burst of brilliant light, blinding Conor.

Kovo began to move, dashing down a rocky path, his body moving up, down, up and down. His thick muscles rippled underneath Conor. An anguished howl cut through the air, and Conor felt a jolt of fear as he recognised it as Briggan's.

He tried to turn his head back, craning his neck. He felt ill, even more than the past weeks. Huffs sounded behind him, as well as raspy breathing. Even further back, there were frustrated cries, and scrambling. The Many were still chasing them.

Chasing _him._

Conor didn't know what to do. _No... I_ can't _do anything. I'm worthless. A burden on everyone._

 _That's right, foolish child,_ a whisper said in his head. _You're only dragging your friends down. They will be killed because you stay with them._

Conor shuddered fearfully, recognising the voice. It was the Wyrm's. _Go away._

The Wyrm chuckled with genuine amusement. _Words alone cannot push me back, dearest Conor. And your puny resistance is futile. You will become my servant in the end, no matter what you do. The only purpose of your existance is to serve me, till your very last breath._

 _No,_ Conor tried to shut out the whispers that had begun to intensify in his mind, but it was useless.

The Wyrm hissed with a mocking tone. _Try all you want, but I told you it is futile. I am you and you are me._

Conor froze. Those words were the same as the ones in his dream. _We are not,_ he protested, trying to shove the Wyrm back into the darkness, where it belonged. _I am Conor, son of Fenray. I am a Greencloak, and the summoner of Briggan the Wolf. I have a family. Meilin, Rollan and Abeke are my friends. I'm not you._

The Wyrm laughed once more, taunting him yet again. _Oh, but you are. As long as my parasite is inside you, everything that is yours is now mine._

 _Your thoughts are mine._

 _Your memories are mine._

 _Your heart is mine._

 _Your body is mine._

 _Your mind is mine._

 _Your soul is mine._

 _Eventually your friends, family and spirit animal will be mine._

 _The boy hero, 'Conor', will cease to exist, because you will be mine forever._

Conor's breath hitched in his throat. He felt Kovo come to a stop and drop him. He landed on the ground, but didn't get up. He _couldn't_ get up. The Wyrm's slithery voice boomed in his mind, contrasting from the earlier whispers.

 _Mineminemineminemineminemineminemineminemineminemineminemine..._

 _MINE._

Conor couldn't bite back the scream that escaped his lips. He clutched his head, thrashing on the ground as the Wyrm laughed in his mind, and the darkness came like a deep, black void of no end.

The evil was forever.

He couldn't feel the hands on his body, shaking him, as he stared blankly at the rocks around him.

Couldn't hear the mournful howls of a wolf, and desperate shouts of a girl.

Only a numbness, spreading through his body, leaving him cold and stripped of every single sense. The light faded, slowly, as a cloud of darkness seeped in, trapping him in.

He didn't fight. _Couldn't_ fight.

His body couldn't move either, his sight fading as he slowly fell unconscious.

 _Be afraid, Conor. Feel fear. Feel despair. Know that your future has already been decided. You will belong to me._

 _Mine._

Conor's eyelids closed on their own. He could no longer resist, or even say anything back. His energy had been sapped. But the Wyrm had been wrong about something.

In his numbed state, just like how he lost his five senses, Conor couldn't even feel _any emotion_ anymore. He could only think, and at last found a solution.

 _I can help them,_ he realised, just as his consciousness slipped away. _There's only one thing I can do._

 _I must leave them._

* * *

 _A/N Ahahahha... ._." A super negative chapter... What am I doing. So yeah. Practically a lot of despairing. Conor's suffering a lot... So there you go guys. Next chapter goes to Abeke in Oliveira! And there they find something, at last! What trouble awaits them? Keep a lookout for the next chapter. See you soon!_

 ** _Reviews help me work faster, so do review and give me your thoughts! I will work even better and update as soon as I can! Thanks everyone!_**


	11. 11 - THE TRAP

_A/N Hey guys, sorry for the delay. The story hasn't been working with me, I've been busy, and I also lost some motivation to write... But now I'm back with a new chapter of Rising of the Fallen! In the previous chapter, Conor despairs! There is a lot of pain going on around here... The Wyrm is getting closer... So in this chapter, Abeke and team search for the first part of the weapon- the trap. And there will be a surprise! What will happen to them? Read on to find out. Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Abeke trudged down the rocky path, with Rollan beside her. Essix soared above. Behind them, the other children walked. Shane and Shadow lead them at the front, while Stead and Howl guarded the rear. Devin and Karmo stood to the left of their group, with Worthy at the right.

It felt like they were being escorted to a prison, especially with their ruined surroundings and bleak atmosphere.

"It's really quiet." Rollan whispered. Abeke had to agree to that. She never knew that the underground- rocks and stone and barren soil- could be so silent. It was too silent for her liking. Even the savannahs of Nilo had been noisier with the growls of predatory creatures, the squeaks of prey, the rustling of stray trees and the soft blowing of sand in the wind.

But it wasn't all _too_ silent. At times, Abeke would hear soft, light skittering on the stone ground. It made her wonder just what kinds of creatures lived underground.

And it made her wonder about Takoda, Meilin and Conor.

 _Conor._

Was he alright? Abeke hoped he was. It had been long weeks since she had seen him and Meilin. She glanced at Rollan, and saw that he seemed to be thinking the same thing, a crease of worry on his face.

Shane suddenly pulled them all to a stop in front of a tall, crumbling wall. "We should rest for a moment. All of you must be tired. While you rest, we will scout ahead and attempt to identify the location of the trap," He said, nodding to his Redcloak companions. "Stead, Devin, and Karmo, you shall stay behind to guard them. Shadow, Worthy, Howl, come with me."

The Redcloaks did as they were told, the three who had been called following Shane as they slipped further into the darkness of the underground. The exhausted children settled down, dropping the packs of supplies they had brought with them.

Abeke sat down, leaning against the wall. She let out a sigh. The whole journey actually seemed rather hopeless. They had no idea where the parts of the weapon even were. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

She longed for the companionship of Uraza. The leopard would have been able to comfort her in such a dire situation. Again, Abeke thought back to the moment when Uraza had been taken. Empty purple eyes, staring at her with no hint of recognition. Long claws unsheathed, pouncing at her, about to kill her-

 _-at Zerif's command._

Abeke felt a surge of hate in her chest. She detested that sly, oily man. He had tricked her, lied to her, made her believe that she was on the good side during the war. She was lucky she had managed to see the errors in her decision before it was too late.

Abeke turned to look at the other children. Rollan was dozing off, and Essix had apparently flown down to him and was currently roosting on his shoulder. Kaiina and Cordalles were quietly talking to each other. Grif and Anuqi were conversing as well. Dawson was sleeping against Devin, who was talking with Karmo. Anda, Tasha and Lina were also chatting, with Mulop and Ninani beside them, but only Kirat was alone, with Cabaro lying some distance away from him, grooming his golden fur.

She then saw Lina turn to the Niloan boy and speak to him in quiet tones. Kirat seemed to hesitate at her words, his expression doubtful, but then he caught Abeke looking at him and nodded to the Oceanus girl with a sigh.

Abeke was glad that the children were trying to engage him in conversations. Rollan then seemed to wake up with a start, and gazed around blearily.

"Had a nice nap?" Abeke asked him teasingly. The Amayan smiled tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, I sure did." He answered, stretching his back. Essix poked at him with he sharp beak, annoyed that he was disturbing her rest. Rollan gave his spirit animal an apologetic look.

"What do you think we can do? We can't keep sitting here and expect Shane to do everything for us." Abeke sighed. Rollan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Restless huh...?" He breathed out, tilting his head up to gaze at the ceiling. "Though I suppose I agree with you, we shouldn't let ourselves get spoon-fed by him. Although his intentions are... true and pure, I suppose..." he told her.

That was when Lina suddenly came in front of them, a troubled look in her eyes. She glanced at Tasha who was with her, and the Stetriolan girl nodded encouragingly, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Umm... Abeke, Rollan..." Lina began quietly, resting a hand on Mulop's bulbous head as the octopus crawled to her. Abeke gazed at the girl gently, waiting for her to continue. "I..." the girl went on nervously. "Have something I need to tell you. It's really important."

"Go on then. What's so important? You have to go to the loo? I'm not sure there's a bathroom in this place so you'll have to hold it in and ask Sha- I mean, _King_ \- when he gets back." Rollan joked. Lina shook her head vigorously, not laughing.

"It's not about that. It's... about Conor." She said softly. Abeke couldn't help but inhale sharply. Conor? Had something happened to him? _Please, please let him be alright..._

"... What about him?" She asked, aware that her voice was strained.

Lina glanced down at Mulop, who sat beside her, rather motionless, his green eyes unblinking. "I... had a dream visit to Takoda." she confessed.

"Dream visit? As in, you met Takoda in your dreams? The real Takoda?" Rollan gaped, eyes wide with shock. The girl nodded Abeke looked at the octopus in front of her.

"It was Mulop's doing, I believe...?" She asked. Lina nodded again, rather gravely.

"I told him about our situation currently, and he told me about his. They're being chased by the Many," she said, looking down. "Meilin and Takoda, they're still alright. They have been trying to move as quickly as possible but... Conor's situation isn't helping them."

"What happened to him?" Rollan's voice was soft, and wavering, a hint of dread in his tone.

"... He doesn't have much time left before he succumbs." Lina sighed, her shoulders slumped. Abeke stared blankly at Lina, trying to process her words. _He doesn't have much time left before he succumbs._

 _... doesn't have much time left..._

"No." She whispered hoarsely. Lina blinked at her sadly.

"Takoda told me... that the Wyrm wants him. The Wyrm wants Conor. That's why the Many are chasing them, to force him to become one of them." She said quietly.

Everything was silent. Abeke couldn't believe what she had heard.

 _The Wyrm wants Conor._

Why? Why would the Wyrm want him? Conor didn't deserve to have to go through such a dreadful thing. What had he ever done wrong?

"That can't be true," Rollan murmured, his face sickly pale. "You must be joking."

Lina shook her head, her dark eyes saddened. The Amayan stared at her, his gaze blank, eyes glazed.

Abeke reached out and touched Rollan's shoulder lightly. She knew that he and Conor were the best of friends, and it must hurt to hear such a thing. "He'll pull through it," she reassured him. "I know he will. Meilin is there, and she'll help him too."

Rollan only managed a small nod, lowering his eyes to the ground in silence.

Which was when Kaiina let out a small shriek of fright. Abeke snapped her head to face the tribal girl, who was backing away from the wall she had been leaning against slowly. Cordalles was staring wide-eyed at the wall, her mouth opened in shock.

Abeke stood up, approaching them quickly. "What's wrong?" She asked. Kaiina pounted a, trembling finger at the wall.

"I... We... We heard voices. Didn't we, Cordalles?" She said shakily. Abeke turned her gaze to the innocent-looking wall. _Voices?_

"What voices?" Rollan asked as he came to them, a questioning look on his face.

"T-they were talking. They sounded really hollow too..." Cordalles stammered. Kirat gave a snort of disbelief as all the other children gathered around them.

"You must've been hearing things." He said. Kaiina shook her head, eyes still round with terror.

"I heard them very clearly." She squeaked. Abeke placed a reassuring hand on the girl's head, patring her gently, and slowly went to inspect the wall. She pressed her ear to it, listening attentively.

At first, there was nothing, only a slight breeze on her face, which was rather strange. She was about to pull back, when she heard it. A male's voice.

It was thin, exhausted, and strained. But it was familiar.

 _Awfully_ familiar.

"Conor...?" Abeke gasped, surprised.

"Wait, what? Conor? You heard Conor's voice?" Rollan gaped. Abeke nodded. She strained her ears, waiting for that same voice to come again. Words came in that same tired voice, and she knew that she wasn't hearing things.

"I'm not mistaken. It's definitely Conor. But... why can I hear him?" She turned to Lina. "Wasn't he with Meilin and Takoda, heading to the Evertree's roots?" Lina nodded, too shocked to even speak.

"The underground is connected in many ways," came Stead's young voice. Everyone turned to him. "You must be hearing him through small tunnels which spread all over the underground. His voice travelled through the ground and reached your ears, from where he is."

"You mean, there are pockets of air everywhere in the ground which allow sound to travel through?" Dawson gasped. Stead gave single nod. He looked at Abeke, the yellow ram eyes behind his mask gleaming.

"Right now, try to listen to what he is saying. It may give you a clue of what to expect, and how his condition is." Abeke nodded, and pressed her ear back to the wall.

 _"... Please Meilin. I don't want to eat,"_ came Conor's voice. There was a short silence. _"I'm not hungry. Please..._ _"_ Abeke couldn't help but grimace at how desperate her friend sounded. She could hear his raspy breathing, and his faint groans of pain. He must be suffering.

 _"Meilin. I beg of you. Please don't force me to eat. I... I..."_ He paused for a moment, and Abeke waited for him to continue. _"I'm not stubborn. I just don't want to eat. I can't even eat anything without throwing it all back out once it hits my stomach..."_

Abeke flinched at his tone. He sounded lost. Broken. Like all the hope in the world had disappeared and he was drowning in despair.

 _"Why won't you listen to me?!"_ yelled Conor suddenly, his voice cracking. Abeke thought of Meilin. The Zhongese girl was stubborn- no wonder Conor was frustrated. Meilin wanted him to eat, but he was refusing, and she was adamant.

 _"You_ don't _understand Meilin. You don't understand what I'm going through."_ Conor's voice came back as a whisper. And that was when Abeke heard Meilin's voice. She was shouting.

 _"Of course I understand! I know what it feels to not trust yourself anymore!"_ She was screaming. _"I know you're fighting as best as you can, but don't push me away! Don't push_ us _away! Just look how sad Briggan looks! You're neglecting him!"_

Abeke felt her eyes begin to water. Her friends were arguing. Conor- who was suffering and just wanted to be left alone. Meilin- who wanted to help him and support him, but couldn't stand it that he was distancing himself.

 _"I said, you don't understand! You_ won't _ever understand!"_ Conor screamed back, his voice one of raw pain.

 _"What is it that I don't understand? Stop being so difficult and tell me!"_ Meilin shot back, her tone harsh. A short silence fell then, and Abeke was worried that Conor might have passed out, or something bad had happened. Then his voice came back, choked with sobs, breaking apart with agony, and the loss she sensed in his tone was so immense that Abeke squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, if only to stop the tears from flowing.

 _"Do you know how it feels to be haunted by the same nightmare, over and over and over again?"_ Conor whispered. _"A voice whispering in your head, taunting you, mocking you, repeating over and over that you belonged to it now and that you would never be able to escape. Something residing inside your body, controlling you, feeding off your fear and growing stronger, trying to take control of you. Do you know that feeling?"_

Abeke couldn't hear Meilin's answer, but Conor continued on. _"Do you know the feeling of being forced against your friends, except you forgot_ everything _about them? Your memories, your feelings and emotions, your_ identity _\- all gone. And then being told by the creature in your head that everything you have was its property. Everything,_ everyone _,"_

There was another silence. Abeke blinked rapidly, pressing her lips together. Although she knew that Meilin had gone through a few of those things, she never thought that Conor's condition was _that_ bad. It was frightening to hear such terrible words. To forget everything- it sounded horrifying.

 _"Even though I haven't succumbed yet, though I will soon, the Wyrm has... It has already shown me. About what I would become. The nightmares I see every time- it showed me so much bloodshed. Pain. I don't want that to happen to you. To any of you. Not Briggan, Takoda, Jhi or Kovo. Especially not you Meilin,"_

 _"I know you understand me a little, but not entirely. I don't want you to understand me. It's for the best. I'm grateful that you want to help me, I really am. But please... I... I don't want your help right now..."_ Conor's voice faded away. Abeke listened for a moment longer.

 _"Thank you..."_ he suddenly said again. Then silence.

* * *

Abeke sat quietly, processing what she had heard through her brain. _Conor's in pain. He's pushing everyone away. Even Briggan, his own spirit animal. Even Meilin._

She had explained what she had heard to the others, and they had been horrified. Rollan had gone from sickly pale, to the palest shade of white she had ever seen. He had excused himself and sat down, in deep thought, staring out into space with a blank look on his face.

Abeke sighed. Things were becoming more difficult than she thought. They had to pick up their pace soon, so that they could save Conor before he fell. Save Erdas before everything was consumed by the Wyrm.

 _Where is Shane...? He's taking quite a long time..._ She thought, frowning as she gazed into the distance. They had been resting for a rather long time. She was restless, felt impatient- she wanted to go and find the trap _now._

She wanted them to hurry with whatever investigations they were going through to locate the trap. And, as if her thoughts had summoned him, Shane appeared, with his companions behind him. His crocodile eyes gleamed behind his mask- there was a triumphant, satisfied air around him.

"We've managed to locate the trap. Come, we have to move quickly." He instructed. Immediately, everyone was on their feet, taking up their packs and quickly setting off, following Shane and his red cloak. Abeke stared at the former Reptile King. It was strange that he was helping them with their task, when months ago he had been the enemy.

She was still suspicious of him, caution causing her to be rather edgy around him. Abeke didn't want to trust him yet, after everything he had done to her, to her friends and family, to Erdas. But it seemed to be for the best, as it kept all her past emotions towards him safely locked away in the deepest parts of her heart.

Abeke glanced at Rollan, who was silently walking beside her, though he was lagging a bit. His shoulders were slightly slumped, eyes downcast and empty. Essix still sat on his shoulder, and it pointed out that the Amayan was going through some difficult decisions and emotions.

After some time, the group arrived at a large cave. "This is the place," Shane whispered, gazing into the blackness of the cave. "While searching, we found some ancient murals which show the locations of the three parts of the weapon. This is where the trap is hidden in."

"Then let's hurry up and go." Rollan suddenly said, taking a step back. Shane glanced at him for a moment, then nodded and gestured for the group.

They walked into the darkness, high on guard for any dangers and threats, weapons in hand. Abeke tightened her grip on her bow, her fingers twitching as she readied herself to snatch an arrow out of her quiver at the first signs of danger. Stepping lightly, she gazed around, her eyes trying to adjust to the gloom. Her boot suddenly squelched and sank into a soft material, and Abeke jumped, hopping away.

She squinted down at her feet, and saw that the thing she had stepped on was a slimy white substance. She sniffed, and was suddenly aware of the foul stench of the cave. Abeke wrinkled her nose in disgust as she continued forward, hurrying after the others.

They soon came to the heart of the cave, entering a large cavern with a domed ceiling. In the middle of the cave lay a huge stone structure that was strangely shaped like a nest, and sticking out from the middle of the structure was a gleaming silver spear.

The trap.

Abeke felt her blood race- they had found the first part of the weapon. She resisted the urge to lunge forward and grab it, instead watching as Shane went forward.

Then he froze, immediately moving backwards again. "What's wrong?" Rollan hissed, his voice frighteningly loud in the tense silence. Shane shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips for silence, his yellow eyes urgent and fearful. Abeke wondered what it was that he saw in the structure. Rollan grumbled under his breath.

And it was then they heard a loud hiss. It reverberated through the area, a booming noise.

Abeke felt the hairs on her neck tingle as a shock of cold ran up her spine.

 _There was something in the structure._

Shane cast a glance at her, eyes wide. He made a quick hand motion at Shadow, jerking a thumb to the nest. Shadow nodded, and creeped towards it quietly, her movements lithe. She made little noise, and stealthily climbed up the massive nest, careful not to disturb whatever _creature_ lay in there.

Abeke saw her falter as she reached the top, her dark eyes gleaming with shock in the faint light. Whatever thing was inside must have been rather terrifying. Then she regained her composure, and steadily crawled around the edge of the nest, reaching out for the spear in the middle.

Her arm came short, and she let out a faint hiss of frustration. Shadow leaned further in, keeping a tight grip on the edge.

Her slender fingers brushed the spear, and she reached out even further, her body in a precarious position. Abeke held her breath- she looked like she was about to fall into the nest. She finally managed to get a grip on the spear, and pulled at it, muscles tensing.

The trap didn't budge. Shadow narrowed her eyes, tugging at it harder. Stead came forward, about to help her, when Shane put a hand up to stop him, keeping his gaze on his female companion.

Shadow suddenly reached out her other hand, so that only her legs hugged the nest edge. She gripped the trap, pulling with all her might.

The spear inched upwards a little, letting out a faint grinding noise.

Instantly, Shadow froze, glancing down at the nest. Nothing stirred, so she continued tugging.

The spear slowly came out, bit by bit, until Shadow managed to take it out. It popped out of its position with a soft pop, and she lifted it into the air triumphantly.

Until the nest began to tremble.

Shadow leaped down, stunned, and quickly returned to the rest of the group. The stone nest cracked, rumbling, and Abeke stared on, horrified, as a grey, serpentine shape rose from it.

It was disgusting. A long body that squelched and was covered in slime, with thick strings of fat and muscle bulging from it. Surprisingly, it had teeth- in fact, rows and rows of teeth as it bared them at the group. Two long antennas sprouted from its face where its eyes should have been.

"A monster slug," Rollan whispered sickly, his face paling. "We just woke up a _bloody monster slug._ With _razor sharp teeth._ "

In response, the creature screeched, enraged. It rose higher, almost reaching the ceiling, and Abeke saw the millions of tiny little limbs sticking from its body. The small tentacles wriggled like legs, and it took everything Abeke had to not turn away in disgust and throw up at the sight.

"Now it's a monster slug _centipede._ Is this one of the creatures of the underground?" Rollan gulped. The group all took a step back in fear.

The monster swiveled its head around. It seemed rather confused.

"It can't see," Tasha gasped. The slug-like creature let out a snarl, its body writhing in frustration

Kaiina, who was trembling, took another step back, her boot giving out a loud clomp. The slug immediately turned its head to her direction, now unmoving. Its antennas twitched, and it hissed.

"It senses the vibrations of the ground," Abeke realised. The beast growled, now sinking back into its nest. "Nobody move until it goes back into its nest." She instructed softly, not wanting to risk their safety, even if it apparently couldn't hear.

The slug still seemed uncertain, slowly going back into its nest, keeping its head trained towards Kaiina's direction. The poor girl stood stone-still, her breath held.

Then, it gave a grunt, and finally returned into its nest, settling down. Kaiina let out her breath, relieved.

"Everyone move back slowly," Shane ordered, taking a step back. "Until we're in the cave tunnel. Then run as fast as possible." Everyone was all too happy to comply. They all moved back in unison, watching the nest warily in case the slug awoke again.

Abeke glanced at Rollan. The boy was doing a rather good job of moving quietly. Even Essix hadn't screeched at all ever since they entered the cave. _Perhaps she knew what was inside._

Mulop was clinging onto Lina's back, his eyes serious for once. Ninani was waddling gracefully, and apparently she was aiding Tasha as well, as the Stetriolan girl also moved lithely. Cabaro was padding backwards quietly, Kirat beside him. The lion kept glancing at the boy, looking rather uncertain- why, Abeke had no idea. But Kirat was doing well.

The other children were not as good. They were trying to be careful, yes, but they had a difficult time preventing their boots from clomping on the ground. With every loud clomp, there was a higher risk of the monster waking again.

The Redcloaks themselves, along with Devin and Karmo, were moving with ease, especially Devin and Shadow. Abeke remembered that the Trunswick boy's spirit animal had been a black wild cat named Elda, which explained his feline abilities. Perhaps, even though Elda was gone, Devin still retained some of the abilities he gained from his spirit animal.

Evetually, they reached the cave tunnel. And it was then did they run.

Pumping their legs, sprinting with all their might, the group fled the cave.

Abeke heard a guttural roar as the slug awoke at their sudden noisy escape. She saw the entrance of the cave, so close. They were almost out. She heard a loud slithering as the slug chased after them, now sensing their desperate vibrations loud and clear.

Then they were out in the open, the light. Abeke didn't stop- the slug was still chasing them. But suddenly, Shane slowed down, and he gestured for all of them to stop as well. Abeke wanted to ask why he did that, when she heard another roar, this time full of frustration and rage. She saw the slug hovering near the cave entrance, just directly in front of the light. It hissed, and slowly retreated, and Abeke couldn't see it anymore.

"It's sensitive to the light," Shane puffed. "That's why it won't chase us."

"But it isn't _that_ bright out here." Cordalles commented, frowning.

"There is still light. That creature is only comfortable in complete darkness." Shane explained.

"At least we got the trap..." Rollan muttered.

"But what _was_ that thing...?" Anda whispered, a shiver running up his spine.

"That was a grindish," came a sudden voice from above them. Abeke's head shot up, and she saw a girl, standing atop one of the old ruins. Her eyes widened as she took in the girl's appearance.

Light pink hair and astonishing pink eyes. Her skin was also paler than anyone she knew- paler than Conor, even. The girl jumped down lightly, and Abeke saw that her clothes were also unusual, a strange black material.

The girl cocked her head at them. "You're lucky you manged to escape that cave on time. Grindishes move fast," she said in a strange accent. It was neither Zhongese, Niloan, Euran, or Amayan. It was another accent entirely.

"Who are you?" Abeke asked, watching the stranger warily as she approached them.

"I mean no harm," the girl said, raising her hands in innocence. "Welcome to Sadre. I see that you are upsiders?"

"What's an upsider?" Dawson asked.

"People who come from the surface. Sadre is the underground land below Erdas," the girl answered simply. She gave a warm smile. "You are just like a few upsiders I met some time ago. They were just as confused as you are." she laughed, but her expression quickly became saddened.

Abeke felt a stir of hope in her chest. She glanced at Rollan, and saw that he was staring at her wide-eyed. They were thinking the same thing.

The girl was now staring at their spirit animals, namely Essix, Ninani, Mulop and Cabaro. She seemed surprised, and a deeper flicker of sadness appeared on her face, accompanied by guilt and grief.

"Who are these... other upsiders that you speak of?" Abeke asked hopefully.

The girl looked surprised once more. "There were three of them. Two males, and one female," she began slowly, gazing at them uncertainly. "Do you, perhaps, know them?"

"We might. Could you describe them, please?" Rollan asked, eyes wide. The girl furrowed her brows in deep thought.

"The first male had... fair blond hair and blue eyes. He had pale skin. He also had a spirit animal, a wolf," she said. Abeke felt excitement run through her veins. _Conor_. "The girl had black hair and dark eyes. She was also quite pale, and had a panda spirit animal," _Meilin!_ Abeke thought, delighted.

"The last boy was bald, and had darker skin. His spirit animal was... an ape. All of them wore green cloaks." The girl finished, watching them with wide eyes. _Takoda._

"We know them," Rollan croaked out, his eyes alight with apprehension. "We know them very well."

The girl's eyes grew wider. "What's your name?" Abeke asked softly. Lina had told them that Conor, Meilin and Takoda had had aa guide, during one of their breaks. She was a Sadrean, and she had helped them through some of their difficult situations. Her name was...

"Me?" The girl asked. "My name..."

"My name is Xanthe."

* * *

 _A/N Ohohoho... So Xanthe's alive! I don't know if she is in the series though but... It's fanfiction! I still believe that she's alive! :D So the group managed to find the trap, and as an added bonus, met Xanthe! Things are heating up...! In the next chapter, we go back to Meilin underground. Something terrible happens. Something really, really terrible... Find out what in the next chapter! Look out for the next update of Rising of the Fallen! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews give me motivation to write! So do review and give me your opinions on this story! Review, review! :D Thanks everyone!_**


	12. 12 - SACRIFICES

_A/N Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter. In the previous chapter, Abeke and crew find the trap, and meet Xanthe, who has survived. In this chapter, we go to Meilin, who has a dream as well and meets Lina! But things go from bad to worse... What will happen to the three heroes underground? Read on to find out! Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Meilin was walking in a garden. Jhi was there, ambling beside her. She felt at peace, a smile dancing on her face. _But how did I get here?_ She wondered, and looked to the panda next to her.

Jhi's silver eyes glittered warmly, and Meilin knew then that it was only a dream. She sighed, sitting down on a bench. Jhi grunted as she plopped down beside her.

Meilin wondered why she was having such a peaceful dream when they were having a time of crisis in the real world. They had been chased by the Many and the cyrix for the fifth time. She was exhausted, and not to mention Conor had passed out again. The boy had already been drained of energy before they had gotten chased.

And adding to her worries was Takoda's news.

After they had stopped and settled down to rest, Takoda had told her that he had a dream of the summoner of Mulop, Lina, and the octopus himself. They had exchanged news, and Takoda discovered that Abeke and Rollan had only just survived many encounters with Zerif. They had saved Cabaro and Ninani, even though they had failed to save Tellun...

But Uraza had been taken, and Greenhaven had fallen.

To make matters worse, they were with a group of strangers who called themselves the Redcloaks, and heading where Meilin, Takoda and Conor were heading to.

The roots of the Evertree.

It managed to ease some of Meilin's anxiety to hear that the weapon still existed, and that they were searching for it, but she still worried for their safety. She didn't even want to trust these Redcloaks.

 _Rollan, Abeke... I hope you're faring better than us now,_ Meilin thought with a sigh. She then thought back to the argument she and Conor had, once he had woken up.

 _"You don't understand!"_ He had yelled at her. Meilin felt that familiar sting at his words. Of course she understood. She understood what he was going through. Then she recalled what he had said next, and she slumped.

 _The feeling of forgetting everything and everyone. I... don't know that feeling,_ she thought glumly. _To be tormented with the same nightmare. To be used as a slave, a host, for another creature... I don't know those feelings at all._ Meilin sighed. She thought she understood Conor, especially since he was in such a tight predicament. Turns out she didn't quite get him yet.

She sighed, feeling rather downcast. _No, Meilin. Get yourself together. We can pull through this; all of us, together._

It was then she heard the sound of rustling. "You have a visitor, Meilin." Came Jhi's velvety voice as the panda turned her attention to several moving shrubs. They parted then, and revealed a girl who looked about the same age as Meilin herself. She had rather tanned slin and dark hair, and the trademark tattoos on her arms revealed that she was from Oceanus.

Meilin blinked, surprised, as a large orange octopus crawled after her and clambered onto her back.

The girl was staring at her. "I... assume you are Meilin, summoner of Jhi?" She asked. Meilin nodded, observing as the girl hesitantly stepped forward.

"Then you must be Lina, summoner of Mulop," Meilin said, and smiled reassuringly. "Takoda has told me about you. Come, have a seat, and we'll talk." She patted to the seat beside her on the bench. Lina smiled back gratefully, and settled down beside her.

"So, what brings you here?" Meilin asked. Jhi and Mulop played with each other, batting at one another gently.

"I... have brought more news," Lina said quietly, her gaze serious. Meilin waited for her to continue, feeling apprehension prick at her skin. "We have found the first part to the weapon, which is called the trap."

Meilin heaved a sigh of relief. "No one was hurt right?" She asked. Lina shook her head, and she felt the heavy knot in her chest loosen.

"We have also met up with a surviving group of Sadreans," Lina went on. Meilin's eyes widened. _There were survivors._

"Is... is a girl called Xanthe amongst them? She was our guide in Phos Astos and on our journey to the Evertree's roots," She asked hesitantly, anticipating the answer. _Don't get your hopes up Meilin._

Lina smiled. "Yes. She was the first Sadrean we met once we uncovered the trap." She replied. Meilin felt her hope rise even further. Xanthe was alive! And she was with survivors. Sadre still had a chance of being rebuilt.

"That's wonderful," she breathed with relief.

"We are still searching for the rest of the pieces..." Lina went on. Meilin nodded thoughtfully. She was relieved that everyone was alright, and that they were trying to find the weapon as fast as possible. Time was not on their side. Especially since Conor was close to falling.

 _I have to make sure that doesn't happen,_ she told herself firmly.

"You tell Abeke and Rollan that we're fine," Meilin told the Oceanus girl. Lina nodded, giving a reassuring smile. "They don't have to worry about us and just focus on their-"

A rumbling below them cut her off. Meilin looked around in surprise, only to realise that her vision had gone hazy. Lina suddenly cried out, and right before her eyes, the girl disappeared in a bright flash, Mulop gone as well.

Meilin was bewildered. What was happening to her?

"You are being forcefully awoken," Jhi told her calmly as she turned to her spirit animal. She blinked in surprise, and the ground seemed to tilt, the world spinning crazily.

 _"It's time to return to the real world, Meilin."_

Then, with her gut giving a sickening lurch, her vision rimmed with black, Meilin gave a startled cry.

The world was engulfed in darkness.

* * *

Meilin snapped awake to see Takoda's panicked face above her, Jhi's rounder, black and white face beside him. Instantly, she leapt to her feet, senses alert, eyes wide, and looked around warily for an enemy.

"No Meilin! We have to get away! Conor woke up earlier, and said that the Many were coming again! We need to move!" The monk hissed at her, pointing to said boy, where he sat huddled opposite them, arms wrapped around himself and shivering. Briggan sat close to him, whimpering worriedly for his companion.

Meilin started, shocked.

 _The Many were coming again._

She scowled, feeling her temper and helplessness rise. Takoda had already run out of flares. It appeared luck was not with them.

Still scowling, she began to pack up their meager provisions with a brisk pace, as she had been taught when she was younger. Speed was essential in survival- they could not afford to slack off, or even break for a long time, only allowing at least an hour's worth of rest.

After she was done, Meilin glanced worriedly at Conor's trembling form. He looked pitifully thin, his cheeks sunken, eyes hollow, and his ribs faintly sticking out. He was starving himself, that she knew, but he refused to eat, no matter how many times she tried to persuade him to. He was stubborn when he wanted to be it seemed.

His skin, which had once been full of colour and life, was now a pasty gray, with a lifeless tinge to it. Conor spotted her staring at him, and offered a weak smile, his blue eyes gleaming faintly. She managed a smile back, if only to ease some of the constant worry on his face- and her own.

"Come, let's go quickly." Meilin urged, helping her friend to his feet. Conor swayed, leaning back against the rock he had been resting against for another moment, breathing heavily. Then he staggered forwards, and Meilin quickly followed, calling back for Jhi. The panda disappeared onto her hand with a quick flash.

She could hear the Many coming towards them, fast.

They had to hurry.

Meilin broke into a run, holding her and Conor's packs in her arms. Conor was in no condition to be carrying anything. The boy stumbled, forcing himself to run as well. Until Kovo grabbed him by the waist and heaved him onto a thick, muscular, hairy shoulder.

Conor let out a startled yelp; the ape merely snorted, before quickly following the others as they went ahead. There came the screams of the Many as they chased after them hungrily, intent on getting to them.

Mainly Conor.

They had to keep running. They didn't have anymore torches either, to fend off the Many with. Meilin scowled at their dire situation. It was almost hopeless.

 _No!_ She scolded herself fiercely. It was no time to mope around. They had to escape; that was first priority. The Many was slowly gaining on them. Meilin risked glancing back and saw the towering figure of the cyrix as well.

That gave her more energy to run; she definitely did not want to be caught by that writhing mass of darkness.

Then, suddenly, she heard the Many stop, their screams dying down. _She_ didn't stop though, and neither did the others. They continued on, running as far as they could, and burst out into an open area.

It wasn't technically open, as there were a ton of ruins littered there.

That was when they did stop, gasping for breath, flopping onto the ground and trying to calm their palpitating hearts. Meilin called out for Jhi again with a grimace as pain hit her. Seconds later, the panda was at her side.

Jhi licked her cheek, and Meilin buried her face in her friend's fur. She had to figure out how to help everyone. She glanced towards Conor, and saw him sitting there with a dazed look on his face. Briggan nudging him with soft whines.

"A hundred hours..." she heard the Euran whisper, still with his faraway gaze. "A hundred... hours..."

Meilin went to him, confused. What did he mean by a hundred hours? Did he have a dream about them reaching the Evertree's roots in another hundred hours? Or was it something else? "Conor?" She asked gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Conor flinched, snapping out of his daze. "Y-yes...?" He asked tiredly, blinking wearily. Meilin saw the Wyrm- it was still on his cheek. She had no idea why, but it seemed like the Wyrm hadn't even moved at all since one of the their rests. Was Conor managing to suppress it somehow?

She decided to shake the thought away. At least it had stopped. That was the good thing. "What do you mean by a hundred hours? Did you have a dream or something?" She asked.

Conor froze, his eyes widening. "I-it's nothing..." he murmured, shaking his head. "Nothing important. I was just... thinking..."

"About what?" Meilin asked suspiciously. Conor shook his head again, keeping silent. Meilin couldn't help but frown. She knew Conor was hiding something, but he wouldn't tell what it was. Briggan whined, pressing against the boy. Conor leaned back against the wolf, closing his eyes to rest.

Well, it could wait for later.

* * *

Meilin startled awake from where she had dozed off. She looked around warily, watching for any signs of danger. Seeing as there were none, she relaxed, but was still on high alert.

Conor had fallen asleep, and Takoda wasn't conversing with Kovo for once. Which reminded Meilin of her dream of Lina.

"Takoda," she called, waving the monk over. Takoda perked up, and went to her, looking at her questioningly. Kovo followed behind, a disgruntled expression on his hairy black face.

"Lina dream visited me too." She said once the boy had settled down. Takoda was surprised.

"Really?" He gasped. "What did she tell you?"

"Abeke, Rollan and the other Great Beasts' summoners have found a part of the weapon," she said, smiling. "Not only that, Xanthe is alive."

Takoda took a moment to let the information sink in. Then a grin slowly spread across his face, delighted. "She is...?" He whispered urgently, still smiling broadly. Meilin nodded, sharing his excitement.

"Abeke and Rollan met her after they got the weapon part. It seems that there were some Sadrean survivors as well." She went on.

Takoda looked about to burst from happiness. Then he managed to compose himself, taking in a deep breath. "I see..." he said quietly, smiling again. "So... they are alright? All of them?" He said.

Meilin nodded. The monk looked relieved, and happy as well. It was a change from the sullen, fearful atmosphere they had most of the time. "We should tell Conor later once he wakes up." Meilin said. Takoda gave his agreements.

"Tell me... what?" Came Conor's voice, and the two turned to see said boy already awake, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Meilin went over to him, helping him up. Jhi was already there beside Briggan, licking Conor's face.

"Abeke and Rollan found a part of the weapon," she said quietly. Conor seemed shocked, but then smiled with relief, though his eyes held a sadness to them that was hidden away quite well. "Xanthe's alive as well."

The Euran seemed even more surprised by the news, eyes widening. His smile grew slightly wider, glad that their Sadrean friend was still alive and well. He didn't question how she knew; it was obvious that Lina had dream visited her.

Briggan nudged him then, his cobalt eyes wide and alert. Jhi suddenly stiffened, letting out a small whine. Kovo grunted, a scowl on his face. The three animals gazed at the direction they came from. Conor seemed puzzled, then his eyes widened, and a hand went to his chest, gripping tightly.

"They're coming. Even... even faster this time," he whispered. "We'll be caught..."

Meilin found it strange that he wasn't writhing on the ground like he usually did when he sensed the Many approaching. But she guessed that it was a good thing.

She immediately jumped to her feet, and managed to grab their packs before the Many suddenly appeared.

Conor was right, they _were_ a lot faster. If they tried to run, the Many would definitely outrun them and catch them.

"We need to hide. Hurry!" She hissed, grabbing Conor's arm, after she called Jhi back into passive, and dragging him into the ruins. Takoda followed quickly, with Kovo and Briggan behind him.

They heard the Many scream as the ruins made them lose sight of their prey. Meilin looked around desperately. It wouldn't be long before the Many found them and infected them, making all of them into the Wyrm's servants. She had to make sure all of them survived.

It was then she found a large gap in the walls, big enough to fit the three of them in. What's more, it had a pillar thrown across it, which made the hole less visible than it actually is. "Takoda, call Kovo back." She hissed, stopping in front of the hole. Takoda nodded. Kovo saw what Meilin had found, then gave a snort and disappeared in a flash, reappearing as a tattoo on the monk's neck.

They turned to Conor. "Quick Conor," Takoda urged. "Try to put Briggan back into passive."

Conor hesitated, eyes flickering to his wolf. Briggan whined, nudging his side with his muzzle. "I-I will... Just... Just go in first, hurry." He said nervously, gesturing them forwards. Meilin raised an eyebrow. Something didn't seem right...

The Many let out their vicious caterwauls, and she quickly scrambled in, followed by Takoda. Conor stood outside, looking at his wolf for a long moment. Briggan stared back. Then the wolf stiffened, and growled, grabbing at Conor's pant leg with his teeth.

"No Briggan," Conor whispered softly, his eyes reflecting his pain. "I have to do this."

Briggan let out a yip of disagreement. Conor's eyes hardened, and, to Meilin's surprise, _kicked_ his wolf away.

"Conor!" She gasped as Briggan was sent scrambling into the hole suddenly, his blue eyes showing his hurt. The wolf suddenly tensed, and gave a pitiful whimper. Conor's eyes flashed, and he pushed down on the pillar across the entrance of the hole with surprising strength, making it break and fall, covering the entrance. He must have forcefully tapped into Briggan's powers.

Meilin, Takoda and Briggan were trapped inside. "What are you doing? Conor!" Meilin yelled, trying to push the pillar out of the way. But it was heavy, and wouldn't budge. In such a tight space, Takoda wouldn't be able to summon Kovo either.

Conor gazed at them, his blue eyes downcast with guilt, grief, and pain. His expression was broken, and a tear dripped down his cheek. "I'm sorry. It's for your own safety," he said quietly as he turned away from them. "Please forgive me."

"Wait, Conor, what are you doing?!" Takoda cried out, alarmed. The Euran didn't turn back, moving forward instead.

The Many and cyrix came then, and they approached him where he stood in front of them. Conor didn't move, standing tall and his head held high.

"You better keep your promise, Wyrm..." Conor whispered, closing his eyes. Then, with a deep breath, he stared at the monsters before him, unfazed. "I will go with you." he declared loudly.

"No!" Meilin screamed, trying to reach for her friend. Why was he doing this? Briggan let out an anguished howl, scratching at the pillar, poking his snout out of the small gap above it. Conor seemed to stiffen at their voices, but then he became composed again and took a step forward.

Towards the Wyrm.

"No, Conor! Come back!" She wailed despairingly, feeling tears well up in her eyes. _Don't do this._

"But, I have a condition," Conor went on, ignoring their shouts. The Many and the cyrix waited patiently, their gazes never leaving the Euran. "Once I go with you, you will leave my friends alone for a hundred hours. You will not touch them, watch them, or even appear once in their sights. You will let them continue on their journey unhindered..." He closed his eyes.

"For a hundred hours."

Meilin froze. So that was what Conor wanted to do. He had wanted to do this since the start. He was willing to sacrifice himself- the burden, the _cursed_ one- so that they could continue without facing any dangers, even if it was for a while.

" _NO!"_ Meilin cried, her voice cracking. Of all the sacrifices she had seen, this was the _worst._ Conor was willing to turn himself into the darkness just for them. He was willing to become a mindless slave, a _monster,_ so that they could continue on their task. He was willing to _suffer,_ losing his memories, his identity, _everything,_ for them. "Stop this Conor! I-I promised you! And you promised me too! We would finish this together!" She screamed.

Briggan began his desperate howling, eyes wide with fear as he watched his partner step closer to the darkness.

Further away from them.

Conor still didn't turn back.

The Many hissed, as if agreeing with his deal, and stepped forward, grabbing his arms. They pulled him forwards, and the cyrix reared.

Meilin couldn't watch, but she had to. Takoda stared helplessly with her, tears streaming down his face. Briggan continued howling, broken noises which only cracked Meilin's heart even more.

And, just before he was pushed into the blackness of the cyrix, Conor finally looked back.

Meilin saw the tears on his cheeks, and his clear blue eyes held his guilt and grief, but beneath those emotions, there was determination.

Meilin saw him offer a weak, strained smile. To reassure them that everything would be fine.

His lips moved.

" _I'm sorry,"_

The Many prepared to push him in, the cyrix rumbling hungrily. He spoke again.

 _"Thank you,"_

And, as Conor was shoved in, he whirled around, and gave them one final word, his eyes gleaming sadly.

 _"Goodbye."_

The darkness engulfed him.

Conor was gone.

 _... Goodbye..._

* * *

 _A/N Uhm okay... Ahaha... Conor's gone... Why did I even decide to do this... ;-; So yeah... Conor has been taken... I can't even say anything already. Uhm... The next chapter is Rollan's... They hunt down the next part of the weapon, the hold, together with the aid of Xanthe! Okay, uhm, don't scream at me I'm sorry. ;-; But yeah... Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _Reviews make me work faster and motivate me, so do give me some reviews! Thanks for reading guys!_**


	13. 13 - THE HOLD

_A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, I had school and everything... Anyway, I'm back! In the previous chapter, Conor gets taken away. ;-; Wahh... ahem... In this chapter, Rollan and gang will find the hold! What troubles will they face now? Enjoy :3_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

A shudder ran up Rollan's spine as he walked. He glanced around, unnerved by the sudden sensation he felt. What was that? It felt like something bad had happened. There was no way he would shiver for no reason. And it wasn't that cold either.

A shriek sounded above him, and Essix flew down to him, landing on his shoulder gracefully. "Hey girl," he said softly, nuzzling the falcon under her beak with a finger. Essix chirped at him, nuzzling him back. "Do you feel like something bad has happened?" He asked.

The bird paused, cocking her head at him and gazing at him with amber eyes. Then she lifted up a talon and began chewing on it. "Huh," Rollan muttered, now feeling rather worried. "Thought so."

The air around him was oppressing, and he couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to Meilin, Conor and Takoda. Were they alright? He missed them terribly.

He heard Abeke jog up behind him, and she was at his side. "Is everything alright?" She asked, looking concerned. With Essix on his shoulder, Rollan could see, very clearly, how disheveled she was. Her braided hair was more tangled than it was before, and her cheeks had become slightly sunken.

"Not sure. I just have this really bad feeling about something." He replied, not looking at her. Abeke frowned, and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Xanthe came forward.

"Hello." She greeted, her pink eyes glowing. Back when they had first met, the Sadrean girl had decided to lead their group to the remaining survivors of Sadre. They had reached their miniature camp, and the Sadreans had rejoiced when they saw the group. They were even more delighted when they saw the trap they had acquired after escaping the monster slug centipede in the caves.

"Sadre still has hope! The chaos will soon end!" They had yelled joyfully, crying for some odd reason. Rollan shared their joy, and grinned. The Sadreans had offered them shelter before they set off to find the second part of the weapon, the hold. But Xanthe had decided to go with them, eager to meet Meilin, Conor and Takoda again.

Now they were walking on to their next destination, which Shane had explained was a series of tunnels deeper underground. The serum was kept in a shrine even deeper.

They were now under the first layer of earth, heading to the tunnels Shane had spoken about.

Rollan grunted as he tripped over a stone, and Essix took to the skies again with an ear-piercing shriek at the disturbance. "Hey! You don't have to scream in my ear every time you want to fly off." He grumbled irritably at the gyrfalcon. Essix merely shrieked angrily back at him.

"It must be nice, having a spirit animal with you." Xanthe whispered softly, and Rollan turned to her. She was looking up at Essix wistfully.

"You want a spirit animal?" He asked, surprised. The girl nodded sadly.

"Of course. My father had a mole before he died. And my mother had a rabbit." She explained.

"Well, you might get a spirit animal one day." Abeke said helpfully. Xanthe shrugged.

"What is it like, up on the surface? Takoda told me that you hear birdsong every day. There is a sun, a moon and many, many stars. You have deserts, oceans, skies, cities, and plants. More people than those here in Sadre, and even more animals. Is that true?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, that's true. Erdas has Zhong, Nilo, Eura, Amaya, Oceanus, Stetriol and Arctica. They're the continents we live on. Every place is different. I come from Nilo, the deserts." Abeke explained.

"And I'm from Amaya, the cities and the most poor of all the others." Rollan added, trying to joke, but failing.

"What about Meilin, Takoda and Conor?" She asked. Rollan noticed her pausing slightly, just a split second, before she mentioned Conor's name. And a dark look came to her eyes as well.

"Meilin's from Zhong, the most advanced of the continents. Takoda is also from Nilo, but his father was Zhongese, his mother Niloan," he said, then narrowed his eyes at her.

"And Conor is from Eura. But it sounds like you're forcing yourself to want to know where Conor lives." he said slowly. Xanthe stiffened, and her eyes darted away.

"I don't understand." The Sadrean whispered. Rollan heard the slight shaking of her voice, and saw the sweat slowly beading on her forehead. She licked her lips at the wrong moment, and her hands trembled.

"You're afraid of Conor." Rollan stated simply after a moment of watching. Xanthe turned on him, eyes wide with a disbelief that seemed forced.

"I am not. Conor is a friend." She denied, eyes narrowing. Abeke quickly caught into what was happening, and touched the girl's shoulder lightly.

"Xanthe, please don't try to lie. Rollan has Essix's gift of intuition, combined with his own. He will know if you are lying." She said gently. Xanthe froze, giving the gyrfalcon up above a wide-eyed look. Essix continued to fly quietly.

"Why are you afraid of him?" Rollan demanded, nodding to Abeke for the help. Xanthe bowed her head.

"... He is infected by the parasite which plagued my people. How can I not be afraid?" She murmured, her voice trembling as she relented. "My parents died trying to fight them off in Phos Astos. Many people suffered and lost those they loved..."

"So _how_ can I not be afraid...?"

Rollan kept quiet. He knew the feeling of losing those he loved. He had lost Tarik. And it had hurt. A lot.

"I can understand that," he said softly. Xanthe looked at him in surprise. "Afraid to lose those you love. Yep, totally understand that. But if you're afraid, how can you protect them?" He turned to the girl. "You have to be confident. You have to be strong. Then you can protect them all."

"Rollan..." Abeke murmured, and he heard a twinge of understanding in her voice.

"I..." Xanthe stammered, eyes wide.

"Can I ask you something?" Rollan interrupted. Xanthe kept silent, waiting. "If Conor wasn't infected? Would you like him? As a _real_ friend?" The girl blinked, surprised. She kept quiet for a moment, thinking. Then...

"I... I think I would."

Rollan grinned, and didn't say anything else. Abeke gave him a smile.

Xanthe spent the rest of the time talking to them about the surface, while the two of them asked questions about underground. Then Shane called for a stop, letting the children rest while he and his Redcloak companions went off to search for the tunnels.

Rollan plopped down onto the ground gratefully, leaning against the wall with a sigh. Abeke settled down beside him, tired. Rollan took out a piece of dried jerky just as Essix swooped down and landed on his shoulder. He fed the falcon a small bit of the snack, and ate the rest himself, even though he very much wanted to rip apart his pack and gobble down all the food inside it.

Xanthe was staring at their food with wide, curious eyes. "What are those treats you have?" She asked.

"Just some jerky. Don't you have them here?" Abeke replied, surprised. Xanthe shook her head.

"What we eat is different from the surface. We-" the girl was cut short when Lina came hurrying to them, her eyes wide with worry and fear.

"Rollan, Abeke! There's- there's a problem." She breathed out, looking nervous.

Rollan started, shocked. "What is it?" He demanded. The chill returned, and he felt goosebumps rise on his skin. On his shoulder, Essix stiffened, and dug her talons deeper into his flesh, making worried clacking sounds with her beak.

"I... Mulop tried to communicate with Jhi, Kovo and Briggan just now, to ask how they were. Jhi and Kovo replied, but Briggan..." her voice trailed off, and she looked to the ground.

"What about Briggan?" Abeke asked, her voice hushed and strained. Rollan froze, that bad feeling in his gut growing even more.

"Briggan didn't answer," Lina whispered softly. "Mulop said... He said he couldn't sense Briggan anymore."

Rollan heard Abeke gasp, and he found himself stiff with shock and disbelief.

"What do you mean...?" He rasped, quivering from a sudden cold.

"I... I don't know," Lina murmured. She turned to the octopus which sat at her feet, but he merely sat there quietly, his tentacles limp and head bowed. Then Lina gasped, and a hand flew to her mouth, before she blinked rapidly and looked down at the ground.

"What is it?" Abeke asked, distressed.

"I..." The girl whispered hoarsely. "Mulop said..." she gulped, and looked up at them, eyes dark with panic.

"He said, 'The leader has been lost. The darkness has conquered him. A hero has fallen.'"

Rollan could only stare at Lina as she bowed her head.

 _... Conor...?_

* * *

Shane came back some time later with news that they have found the tunnels. Rollan barely heard what he had said- his mind was occupied with thoughts of Lina's ominous words.

 _No, I don't believe it. Conor is still alright. I refuse to believe it unless I see it myself._

 _Unless I see him being controlled by the Wyrm right in front of my eyes._

Abeke nudged him, snapping out of his train of thoughts. He glanced at her, and saw her with her shoulders slumped, her eyes dark with grief. "Don't tell me you believe what Lina said?" He hissed, clenching his fists. Conor was strong. He was his best friend. There was no way he would lose.

"I..." the Niloan shook her head. "I don't. I shouldn't think about it now. Come on, let's go." She urged, her eyes brightening as she threw away the dark thoughts in her head. Rollan decided not to dwell on it either, and quickly follwed after her as the group headed for the tunnels.

They reached their destination some time later, and Rollan stared into the darkness of the entrance, wondering where the hold was. He couldn't even see his own hands as they entered the tunnels.

"Come, let's go quickly." Shane whispered as he took out a torch from his waist belt and lit it up, casting a warm orange glow around them. The children followed, the Redcloaks surrounding them protectively.

"It's so dark in here." Came Kaiina's hushed voice as they hurried through the pressing blackness. Shane's torch was their only source of light. They had to be careful.

Rollan trudged on cautiously, keeping his guard up for anything unexpected. Like another monster slug centipede or whatever. It was dark enough to be the home of one. And these were tunnels.

Eventually they came to a fork in the path.

"We should split up." Rollan suggested.

"No. You don't know what dangers there are lurking here. We shouldn't risk it." Shane argued.

"And how much more time are we going to waste here?" Rollan snapped back, feeling his impatience flare. "The longer we spend time searching for the hold, the longer Meilin, Takoda and Conor have to struggle. The stronger the Wyrm becomes."

"But safety is still important. Meilin, Takoda and Conor can still wait a little longer. I promise you we will hurry-" Shane hissed back.

"I agree with Rollan," Abeke cut in. She turned her gaze on the former Devourer. "Our friends need us. Erdas and Sadre need us. This is a war, King. And you know better than anyone else that _no one_ is safe during a war."

Shane fell silent after that, thinking. "Alright then," he finally agreed, sighing in defeat. "But stay safe,"

"You will travel in your groups. Xanthe will go with Rollan's group. Devin and Karmo, you go with Abeke's," He further instructed. "Once you find the hold, give a... shout."

"Or I can have Mulop communicate with the other spirit animals." Lina offered. On her back, the octopus gurgled in agreement.

"Very well," Shane said.

The group split, and Rollan found himself travelling with Shane, Shadow and Howl through the right path, Stead and Worthy going with Abeke through the left. He inhaled, trying to calm his nerves. The air was cold, and left a sharp tang in his nostrils.

Rollan sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Rollan had no idea how long they had walked, but it was awfully silent. Then suddenly, Essix took off from his shoulder with a screech. "Essix, what are-" Rollan paused mid-call, as a sudden trickle of intuition trickled into his mind. The world spun for a moment, accompanied by a slight gut-wrenching feeling, and he found his vision soaring through the tunnels.

His eyesight had become keener, and he realised with a jolt that he was sharing Essix's vision.

"What's wrong?" He heard Shane ask, but it sounded far off in the distance.

"Essix found something," Rollan replied back, and he grimaced at the strain of his bond with the gyrfalcon. "Hold on."

Essix continued to fly, her eyes darting around and taking his vision along with her. Then she gave a cry and dived down. Rollan's stomach lurched as she pulled back before she hit a ledge that he hadn't realised was there.

"There's a ledge," He reported, his voice shuddering with effort to keep his connection with Essix. "And a hole. Something's inside."

There was indeed a hole. Essix landed on the ground and tilted her head, and Rollan felt his vision come rushing back to him. He staggered, his head spinning for a moment.

"Are you okay?" Dawson asked worriedly as he shook his head.

"I'm fine," Rollan breathed out. "But more importantly, Essix found something. Come on!" He took off running, reaching for his bond with Essix. He felt her at the edge of his conscience, waiting patiently for him to come. _I'm coming, Essix._

The others were running after him as he sprinted through the tunnels, turning corners as if he knew the place like the back of his hand. "Rollan wait!" He heard Shane cry out. He didn't care. He kept running, trying to reach his spirit animal.

Soon, he found her, perched on the ledge still, high up above him.

"Essix!" He called out, and gave a whistle. Essix screeched back, and there was the sound of feathers flapping and grating as the falcon shifted on her perch. The others eventually caught up, out of breath.

"She's definitely found something," Rollan gasped, looking up at the gyrfalcon. "I think it might be the hold."

"But how do we get up there?" Anda asked, confused.

"I can climb." Shadow offered, and stepped forward, as if about to start.

"No, wait. Rollan, can Essix get through the hole?" Shane asked.

Rollan glanced back up. Essix screeched back down at him.

"No. Too small." He replied, getting a brief image of the hole in his head. Shane nodded to Shadow.

"Then climb."

The female Redcloak started her way up the rocky tunnel wall, finding footholds easily. It reminded Rollan of Abeke and Uraza, how lithely they could jump over things and move stealthily. Shadow was already reaching the ledge, and Essix hopped over a bit to give her some space.

The girl stretched, her body bending as she reached a hand into the gap. She paused, then reached in further, arching in an impossible angle. "I can feel something," she said, sounding frustrated. "But it's too far for me to reach."

"Can you stretch further?" Rollan called up, frustrated as well.

"I can't." The girl replied bitterly.

"What are we supposed to do now? Blow up the rock?" Kirat scowled.

"If you do that, the whole tunnel will collapse on us." Xanthe answered back fiercely.

"If only we had something longer..." Kaiina mused.

 _Longer. A hole..._ Rollan pondered. He felt Essix staring at him and looked back up, meeting glinting amber eyes.

Something clicked inside his brain.

"Mulop!" He cried out. "What if we had Mulop slide into the hole and take the thing out? He's gelatinous- he can fit through all kinds of gaps."

"But Mulop is with Lina. How can we-" Anuqi argued, but was cut short as the thumping of footsteps echoed through the cavern.

"You were talking about me?" Came Lina's voice as the girl appeared, panting for breath. The rest of her group were running towards them as well.

"Wow, we must have mystical summoning powers." Rollan muttered dryly. Shane ignored him, turning to the Oceanus girl.

"Yes. We need Mulop's help. Essix had found a ledge with a gap. We believe that the hold is in that gap." He explained.

"Mulop told me as much. Where is it?" Lina asked. Rollan pointed up, where Essix was still perched on the ledge, waiting.

"Then let's hurry and get it over with. We don't have much time left." Abeke said gravely. Everyone nodded. Essix then flew down, just as Mulop crawled down from Lina's back. He let out a gurgle of greeting to the falcon, and she squawked back, gently grabbing a hold of him and lifting to the air. Rollan watched worriedly as Essix flew up to the ledge, with the octopus in talon.

A soft gurgle came from above them. "Mulop's on the ledge. He's going into the gap," Lina reported. Essix screeched down at them in confirmation. Rollan stared up still, waiting. "He's in now," Lina continued, then paused. "He says that there's something inside. Something... small." Her voice held a note of confusion.

"Small?" Rollan echoed, bewildered. The hold was small?

"A... tube?" Lina mused. "Hang on, it isn't small. It's... just somewhat thin. And really long."

Another shriek came from above. Then, a satisfied gurgle. Essix took off from the ledge again, and Rollan saw Mulop in her talons once more, his tentacles wrapped around a white tube with the thickness and length of his arm.

Essix dropped the octopus to the ground, and Mulop proceeded to unscrew the lid of the tube. It popped open, and he took out several thin metal claws from it, all connected to a circular base. There was a hole in the base, and Mulop tugged at it, which surprisingly made it bigger. The claws extended outwards. The octopus climbed back up Lina's back, and passed the part to her.

"Thank you Mulop." She said gratefully.

"Now we've got our hold. Next is the serum. Come, let's head back." Shane said, and began to hurriedly lead the way out of the tunnels. Rollan glanced at the weapon part in Lina's hands, then at the spear which Stead had strapped to his back.

Two parts. They were getting closer.

 _Just one more. Hang in there, Takoda, Meilin, Conor. We're going to get you soon._

* * *

The group eventually managed to exit the tunnels after much wandering and trouble.

"Phew, am I glad to be out in the light again." Rollan remarked, stretching to loosen his sore muscles.

"We're lucky we managed to get the hold without any trouble." Abeke nodded. The group was relaxed, relieved that no running or fighting had been needed. But Xanthe seemed nervous, her head perked up, eyes wide and alert.

"Please, we have to leave now. There is... There is something coming towards us." She said.

"How do you know?" Kirat snapped. Xanthe chewed her lip.

"The caves bring sound. I can hear something, screaming in the distance. It is heading towards us. And-" She was cut off as _real_ screaming echoed through the cavern, as well as stamping. "Fast." Xanthe finished her sentence, eyes widening even further as a creature appeared, standing on a cliff over them.

Rollan recoiled at the sight of the creature. It looked a lot like Xanthe, with its pale skin, pale eyes, and bald, pinkish head. But it was different at the same time.

Especially with the spiral marking its forehead.

"What is that?" Tasha whispered fearfully, staying close to Lina, who glared up at the creature. More of the monsters appeared, watching them with white oogling eyes.

Xanthe didn't reply. Instead, she reached into the waist pouch at her side just as the monsters suddenly began to descend, climbing down the cliff face and snarling rabidly. "Run!" She yelled, taking several steps back as the first monsters ran at them, clawed hands outstretched hungrily.

The children panicked, yelling in fear, as they began to sprint away. "Keep together!" Shane bellowed. The Redcloaks began herding the group back together, and led them through the paths quickly. The monsters followed after, screeching angrily in pursuit.

Rollan huffed as he ran, risking a glance back. Xanthe was behind him, Abeke at his side. The Sadrean was still fumbling with her waist pouch, her expression showing increasing desperation. Then, he saw her produce a sphere, and throw it up in the air.

Blinding white light filled his vision, and Rollan squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking down his cheeks. Above, Essix let out a shriek of alarm, and he felt the falcon fly down to his shoulder, quivering in pain. Of course, the light must have hurt her sensitive eyes.

Rollan heard screams of pain coming from the creatures as well, and vaguely saw them stop in their tracks, screwing their white eyes shut in agony.

Xanthe suddenly pushed him further forward, and he stumbled, before continuing to sprint.

They ran for a long time before coming to a stop, breathing hard and sweating profusely.

"What... were those monsters...?" Rollan gasped to the Sadrean, who was glancing worriedly behind them, no doubt looking out for their beastly pursuers.

"They were..." Xanthe paused, glancing fearfully at him. "They were the Many. Servants of the Wyrm."

"T-the Many?" Abeke gulped, her dark skin turning pale with fear. Xanthe nodded.

"They used to be fellow Sadreans," she whispered sadly. "But then the Wyrm took them."

Everyone was quiet after that. Rollan gazed at the ground, and Essix, who was seated on his shoulder, chirped sympathetically.

Was Conor going to become like the Many too? Mindless, hungry monsters, servants of the Wyrm?

 _No._ He shook his head vigorously, to get the thought out of his head. _He will not succumb. He_ musn't.

At least they got the hold. Only the serum was left.

"King, let's move quickly." He said, glancing at the former Devourer. Shane nodded, gesturing for their group to move on.

"The serum is on the lower levels. We must hurry." He said, and began moving. The children followed after, silent, frightened, and anxious.

As they walked, Rollan tended to Essix, who was trying to scratch at her eyes with her talons as though theys itched. "Let me help," he murmured, and reached up, gently rubbing the falon's eyes. Essix crooned, blinking her amber pools at him with a hint of gratitude, before she took off to the skies once more, on the lookout.

Abeke strode beside him, looking more determined than ever. "We can do this," she said to him. "We can find the parts and help Meilin, Takoda and Conor." Rollan nodded, glancing up at Essix. She soared purposefully through the air, flapping her wings.

 _We can do this. We will do this._

The prospect of finding the serum and being able to see his friends again filled Rollan with indescribable joy.

 _We can finally be together again._

* * *

 _A/N Okay, so that's it. They find the hold. Next, the serum! We go to Tasha's viewpoint in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this! Thanks everyone!_

 ** _Please review, as reviews motivate me to write more. Thanks for everything guys!_**


	14. 14 - THE SERUM

_A/N Hey guys, I'm sorry for the super late update. But now I'm back with a new chapter! In the previous chapter, Rollan and gang find the hold! One more part left, which is the serum! In this chapter, we go to Tasha's point of view, where they will find the last piece of the weapon. And not only that, a reunion is underway! What will happen to them? Read on! Enjoy! :3_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

Tasha didn't really know what to do.

They had managed to find the trap and hold, but encountered a grindish and the Many while doing so. And met surviving Sadreans. And Xanthe.

But she hadn't been of any use at all.

Now they were searching for the serum, which was said to be in a shrine of sorts. Though it actually seemed rather strange. First a cave, then tunnels, and now a shrine? Did they even have shrines underground?

Tasha trudged on quietly beside Lina. Ninani had gone into passive, but Mulop hadn't. Apparently, he was constantly conversing with Lina telepathically, occasionally lifting a tentacle from where he gripped onto the girl's back.

Abeke and Rollan were at the front, as well as Xanthe, and they were talking quietly, speaking in soft tones. Tasha sighed, feeling drained. Even though they had managed to accomplish two-thirds of their mission, she didn't feel happy at all.

Especially not with the news of Conor succumbing to the Wyrm.

Abeke and Rollan seemed to believe that the former shepherd was still alright. That was fine, she supposed, since it helped lift their spirits, thinking that they could finally be reunited again. But...

"Are you alright?" Came Lina's hushed whisper. Tasha glanced at her friend, surprised to see that she looked slightly worried.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just tired," Tasha answered quickly, managing a small smile. Lina smiled back, though it seemed rather strained. "What about you?"

"Well..." Lina said hesitantly. Mulop let out an encouraging gurgle, and Tasha felt a pang of envy seeing how close her friend was with the spirit animal. She and Ninani still had a long way to go.

"I've... been having these dreams lately," the Oceanus girl started. "It always starts with me running in a forest. There's something chasing me, and it seemed like a wolf of sorts," she went on. Tasha blinked. A wolf?

"After that, I find myself in fields. Meadows. And somehow, it felt like I knew the place. Trunswick, or something." Lina frowned, looking puzzled. Tasha raised an eyebrow. Trunswick? That actually sounded rather familiar...

"Maybe we should ask Abeke and Rollan. They might know what Trunswick is." She suggested. Lina nodded. That was when King- no, Shane- called for a rest.

"We'll search for the shrine. You guys rest for a bit." Shane said, and headed off with Worthy and Howl, Shadow and Stead staying behind with them.

"Now's the chance. Let's go," Tasha said, and grabbed Lina's hand. The girl started, but quickly followed, approaching the Niloan and Amayan Greencloaks.

"Abeke, Rollan," Tasha said, catching their attention. The two Heroes of Erdas perked up. "Lina has something she wants to ask. And share." She gestured to her friend, who gulped nervously. Her face looked pale and sickly, which worried Tasha a little.

"What is it? The loo again?" Rollan joked, his eyebrow arching humorously. Lina shook her head.

"It's... Well, I had another dream but..." she said slowly. At this, Abeke and Rollan sat at full alert, expressions serious.

"A dream visit?" Abeke asked. Lina shook her head once more.

"It was just a dream," she said. The both of them deflated, looking disappointed. "But... I think it holds some importance." she went on hesitantly.

"What was it about?" Rollan asked softly.

"Well..." Lina began to tell them about the forest, the running, and the animal that seemed to be a wolf. Then she got to the part about the fields.

"And somehow... I got the feeling that it was called Trunswick. The fields of Trunswick." She said. Both Abeke and Rollan looked stunned.

"Trunswick?" Rollan sputtered aloud, bewildered. At the name, both Devin and Dawson perked up, looking surprised. "That's where Conor comes from." Tasha started, realising it to be true. No wonder it had sounded so familiar.

"What about Trunswick?" Devin asked quietly, his eyes occasionally flitting to the ground, as though in shame. Dawson already looked pale, his lips pressed tightly. It was then Tasha remembered that Devin and Dawson were also from Trunswick, and they were also part of the noble family ruling the town.

"Lina had a dream about Trunswick." Abeke explained, gesturing for them. The brothers went, Karmo apparently deciding to tag along as well.

"A dream?" Dawson gasped, looking at Lina in surprise.

"What was it about?" Karmo asked, intrigued.

"I was coming to that," Lina sighed. Tasha thought she looked like there was a heavy burden on her shoulders, body slumped, eyes dark and haunted by something. Mulop let out a gurgle of concern. "I don't know why, but it seemed to be Trunswick. And... somehow, it felt like home to me," she shrugged, frowning, eyebrows furrowed.

"I dashed across the fields, but then I heard screaming. A voice, screaming a name. The words were too fuzzy to make out. I ran to the source of the screaming, and saw a house on fire. Kicking down the door, I went in... And saw Zerif, with a sword in one hand and a dead woman in the other," Lina gulped then, biting her lower lip.

"And it felt like I knew the woman too. She... I think she was my mother, in the dream," she went on. "Behind them, I saw two other boys, and a man. I knew them as well somehow. My brothers, and my father," she lowered her head. "But they were all dead too."

"Zerif killed them...?" Abeke whispered. She seemed uncertain of something, as if she knew what was going on but didn't know how to voice it out, or explain it. Tasha listened quietly as Lina continued.

"I... I think so. I felt the urge to attack Zerif, but then he..." Lina gulped. "He _bowed_ to me."

"What? Zerif _bowed_ to you?" Rollan gasped incredulously. Lina nodded.

"He still had that spiral on his forehead. And suddenly... I felt trapped within my own body. My body moved when I didn't want it to. I didn't attack him. Instead, I grinned, and merely went outside," her voice grew softer, as if she was hesitant to continue speaking. "Then I saw them. The Many. The Greencloaks. And... all of our stolen spirit animals. I saw all of them... But when I saw Uraza..." Lina trailed off, glancing at Abeke uncertainly.

Abeke had stiffened, her eyes growing darker, lost. Lina sighed. "When I saw Uraza... I was shocked, like I hadn't expected Uraza to be there. I don't know why," she said. "Then I felt a connection. It felt like... I had control over all of them. Zerif, the Many, the Greencloaks, and the Great Beasts. It felt like I was the ruler of the world," she went on, gaze confused.

Tasha gasped. Could it be that...?

"But I still felt trapped within myself. I couldn't control my own body. I... I saw a spiral on my chest, and I heard a voice. A loud, slithery voice that echoed in my mind, mocking me," Lina said. She shifted the weight on her foot, nervous.

"Then I saw you. All of you. Even Meilin and Takoda. And myself. Me, Lina. That was when I knew I was seeing things in another person's view, experiencing the same things _he_ did." She murmured.

"Who was that person?" Devin asked, voice choked. Tasha noticed that he looked especially guilty now.

Lina shook her head. "I... I'm not quite sure yet. You, Abeke and Rollan, together with Meilin, tried to stop me. You tried to call me back. But my body wouldn't listen to me and..." she gulped. "And I killed you,"

"All of you."

"All of us...?" Dawson squeaked. Lina nodded gravely.

"I striked you down, Dawson. And Devin as well. Rumfuss... Rumfuss killed you, Karmo," she said, her eyes watering. The Trunswick brothers and Niloan boy looked shocked, their faces pale.

"And I stabbed Jhi through the heart. Broke Essix's neck," Lina began to sob. Rollan flinched at that, eyes growing wide. "But when I saw Briggan... I... I couldn't stand anymore of it. Briggan... Briggan felt connected to me. I didn't want to kill him," she whispered, almost guiltily.

Tasha's eyes grew round. Briggan? That could only mean...

"But my body still did it anyway. And not only that, I... That voice in my head. It took away my memories. I couldn't remember anyone, anything. Only that I had to kill, if only to please that voice. And I killed Briggan as well. I killed you, Abeke, and you, Rollan. I also killed Meilin. With my bare hands," Lina's tears dripped down her face as she sobbed.

"And I couldn't remember myself either. I couldn't remember _who_ I was. That's why I don't know whose view I was looking from. I..." her voice choked, and she lowered her head. Tasha put an arm around the girl comfortingly, just as Mulop patted her head reassuringly, looking almost ashamed by something.

"That's enough Lina," Abeke whispered. "You can stop. There's no need to continue anymore." Rollan nodded in solemn agreement, his gaze flickering up to Essix, who soared in the skies quietly. If the falcon had heard the conversation, she gave no sign of it.

Lina whimpered, burying her face in her hands.

Tasha tried to piece everything together. Trunswick... Briggan... The fields... And a spiral. The spiral of the Wyrm. Something tickled at the back of her mind but she couldn't grasp it.

"I... I think I know," came Xanthe's quiet voice. Everyone turned to look at her, and Lina seemed surprised, as if she hadn't noticed that the girl was there. Xanthe looked grim, eyes dark.

"You said there was a voice, a spiral, and the Many. That can only mean that the Wyrm was controlling you," the Sadrean said. The colour drained from Lina's face in an instant. "Then Trunswick. Fields. And Briggan. After you mentioned the connection you felt with him, it was already an instant giveaway."

"Wait, you don't mean that..." Rollan whispered sickly, his body shuddering. Tasha inhaled sharply as she realised the same thing.

"You said _he_ , too, lived in Trunswick, correct?" Xanthe said darkly. "And _he_ is also in the hands of the Wyrm."

"No... That's just..." Devin's voice wavered. He looked so different from the arrogant boy on the ship. His shoulders were slumped, head low in shame.

"It is," Xanthe said quietly, sounding almost pitiful. She looked directly at Lina. "It was _him_ you were in. His body, his mind. You were experiencing everything _he_ did,"

"You were looking through the eyes of Conor."

* * *

Shane and the Redcloaks he had brought along with him returned after a while, saying they had managed to find the shrine.

As the bedraggled group trudged on to their destination, Tasha saw that Lina still looked haunted. She put a hand on the girl's shoulder in reassurance. "It's alright, Lina. It was just a dream." She said.

Lina turned her head, expression sick. "But... All the blood. The pain. The gore... It's..." her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "Is Conor... having the same dreams as me, I wonder?" She whispered.

Tasha sighed, not knowing what else to say. "Don't dwell on it too much, Lina," she soothed. She glanced at Mulop, and the octopus bobbed his great head, eyes knowing. "You've already done enough."

Lina nodded quietly, and they walked on in silence.

Some time later, they reached the shrine. It didn't look as grand as she had thought, with crumbling stone pillars, moss growing on it and rotting wood. But it was large, larger than any structure she had seen while underground.

"Let's go in." Shane said, and the children murmured agreement. They entered the haunted looking place, warily glancing around, staying on guard. Tasha shuddered as she progressed on, holding her staff tightly.

It was dark, and terribly wet in the shrine. There were stone pillars holding the building up, but some were already broken. Cobwebs hung at every corner, and there were strange slithering sounds nearby. Tasha didn't know what made those sounds, and she definitely didn't want to find out.

Then came a great moan.

Everyone froze in their tracks, eyes darting around in alarm. The moan came again, somewhere further ahead. Cabaro, who had been sauntering beside Kirat, suddenly stiffened, and growled dangerously. Mulop gurgled softly in distress, his green eyes narrowed with suspicion.

On Rollan's shoulder, Essix silently took flight, soaring up to the ceiling with silent wing beats. Tasha saw Rollan close his eyes- though she saw him grimace before that- and he frowned. He stayed that way for a moment longer, everyone staring expectingly at him, until his eyelids fluttered open again.

He pressed a finger to his lips, a gesture for silence, and quietly moved on, his lips pressed tightly together, face pensive. The moan came again, louder, and Tasha shivered at the emptiness behind it. Was that the sound of a monster? After seeing the grindish and the Many, she didn't know what to expect.

They came into a large room, and Tasha had to bite back her gasp. There was a pedestal in the center of the room and on it lay a large vial. The vial contained strange white liquid.

But what had shocked her was the fact that there were weird-looking _blobs_ lying around in masses all over the floor. They stuck to the ceiling, the walls, the pillars, and there were even a few on the stone pedestal itself. Some of the blobs had antennae sticking out of them, and they _moved._

"Snarles and gallors." Xanthe whispered, horrified, as she took a quick step back. The gooey creatures squelched around, letting out resounding moans which echoed through the shrine.

"Why is it," Rollan said through gritted teeth. "That _all_ the monsters down here have to look like oversized, mutated slugs?"

"Can't we just cut through them? They look relatively harmless." Kirat started, moving forward towards the innocent-looking mounds of slime. Xanthe grabbed his arm and yanked him back, causing him to stumble and step on Cabaro's tail.

The Great Lion let out an earth-shaking roar of pain, and the blobs around them responded with high-pitched scream-squeaks, their shapeless bodies shuddering at the sound.

"Look what you did!" Kirat accused angrily as he checked his spirit animal's tail. The lion himself was glaring balefully at Xanthe.

"I just _saved_ you," Xanthe hissed. "If you had gone into that mass, you would have... _eroded_ into nothingness by now."

"Eroded?" Tasha echoed, her face paling. That sounded terrifying.

"Explain." Kirat demanded, scowling.

"Those creatures you see before you are called snarles and gallors. The ones with antennae are the gallors. Their bodies, as you can so very clearly see, are made entirely of a single substance that acts like acid. It doesn't burn away objects though. Their bodies only burn away organic material," Xanthe glared at Kirat, scowling back at him.

"Which means, just walking through them will leave you without legs for the rest of your life. Actually, _without_ your _life_. You will have already been dead."

Kirat grew quiet, his dark skin turning paler. Even Cabaro sat with his head turned away.

"So... Now what?" Tasha whispered, nervous.

"Rollan, could you get Essix to fly there and grab the vial?" Shane asked. The Amayan tilted his head skyward, where the gyrfalcon was silently circling around. A message was passed between them.

Essix's wingbeats faltered for a split second, then she slowly descended, towards the pedestal and the vial. It was a nerve-wrecking process, considering the fact that no one knew if the blobs on the ground could jump. If Essix touched any one of the creatures, even just the slightest bit, she was dead.

The falcon reached the vial, her talons clasped around its top, and tugged, flapping her wings frantically. The vial shifted; apparently it was too heavy for Essix to carry easily. The actions stirred the snarles and gallors on the pedestal, and they inched towards her. With a squawk of warning, Essix flew back up desperately, clinging onto the vial.

She managed to lift off with it, but not before a gallor clung onto the glass.

Essix gave a cry, beating her wings rapidly, swinging the vial around to shake the creature off. Her grip on the smooth glass nearly slipped, talon marks appearing on the polished material.

"Essix!" Rollan shouted, eyes wide with panic and fear.

The gallor was making steady process up the vial, completely unfazed by the attempts to get it off. The antennae brushed Essix's talons.

Just a bit.

And the falcon screeched out in pain, letting go of the vial instinctively.

"No!" Shane and Rollan exclaimed in unison, Shane horrified that the vial was falling, and Rollan worried for his spirit animal.

Essix flapped awkwardly in the air, letting out pained squawks as she staggered in the air.

Rollan held out his arm, and she descended, landing on the offered limb awkwardly. He went and examined the wound on her talons, and grimaced as fresh blood stained his arm. He took out a piece of cloth from his bag and wrapped it tightly around the falcon's talons gently. Essix nuzzled his hair, looking frustrated, anguished, and slightly ashamed.

"No, it's okay. You tried your best." Rollan whispered to her, running his hand over her ruffled feathers, before calling Essix back into passive mode so she could rest.

But their objective was lost.

Everyone stared at the mass of blobs, particularly at the centre.

"It's gone." Shane whispered, his voice lost.

They all stared at the vial that lay on the ground, visible in the horde of creatures. Or more precisely, the remains of the vial.

It had broken.

The serum was lost.

And all Tasha felt was hopelessness.

* * *

"What are we going to do now?" Dawson wailed, as they shuffled back through the shrine, towards the exit.

"Can we... Make another serum, King?" Abeke asked Shane.

Shane shook his head, looking defeated. "The method of making the serum is too complicated. It would take too much time. And we don't have the ingredients needed." He answered softly, a stricken expression on his face.

"It's hopeless," Kirat scowled. "Everything we've done, all we've sacrificed... All for naught!"

Tasha nearly wanted to agree. A sense of loss washed over her, and she slumped. Ninani appeared, and rubbed her white head against her waist, letting Tasha run a hand through the swan's feathers.

Until Lina let out a gasp. Everyone whirled, on guard.

"No, there isn't an enemy..." The girl assured. She turned to Mulop, eyes wide. "Are you certain Mulop? Are you sure?" She asked, her tone hopeful. The octopus bobbed his massive head, raising a tentacle and pointing it back to the way they came from.

"What is it?" Abeke asked.

"Mulop... Mulop says that... there's another serum!" Lina exclaimed excitedly. "The Hellans made two in case one of them broke or went missing. There's another one! There's still hope!"

"Where is it?" Rollan demanded, a blazing fire in his eyes.

"It's hidden deeper in the shrine." Lina directed. Immediately, the entire group turned to run back.

"Stop!" Shane commanded. They all paused. "We shouldn't all go. It's too dangerous."

"So...?" Rollan snapped impatiently.

"Abeke's group will go and get the second serum." Shane decided after a moment.

"But-" Rollan began to argue.

"Rollan, Essix is hurt," the Redcloak leader cut in. The Amayan grew silent, glancing at his spirit animal's tattoo. "She won't be able to fly straight, if the serum is somewhere up high. Let Abeke's group go. They have Tasha and Ninani with them."

"... Fine," the boy sighed. "Stay safe." He told Abeke, looking worried. The Niloan girl nodded assuringly, then gestured for her group. Tasha followed quickly as they ran back through the cavern.

"This way," Lina whispered once they reached the area with the blobs, and Tasha saw that the girl was pointing at a narrow path to the right. Fortunately, there were no blobs blocking the way. They followed the Oceanus girl's lead, turning through twists and turns. At times, Lina would falter, but then Mulop would gurgle encouragingly, and she would continue on confidently.

They soon entered a secret room, and in the middle of it was a large pedestal. At the top of it sat another vial, with the same white liquid as the first.

"There it is!" Cordalles hissed, pointing up.

"Tasha." Abeke said quietly, and Tasha nodded, knowing what she was supposed to do. She crouched down beside Ninani, and the swan ruffled her feathers, looking serene as always.

"Will you help us get the serum, Ninani?" She asked her spirit animal softly. The swan cocked her head, blinking her eyes thoughtfully. Then, with a squawk, Ninani ascended into the air, flapping her white wings, up and up and up. Tasha watched worriedly as the swan continued gracefully to the pedestal, wondering if there were any creatures hiding nearby, waiting to pounce.

Ninani reached the pedestal and used her beak to grab the serum, lifting up easily with the precious item. She descended back to the ground, landing at Tasha's feet. Tasha took the vial and carefully put it into her pack.

"Thank you, Ninani." She said gratefully. The swan crooned, fluffing her feathers humbly.

The group ran back to the shrine entrance, and found the rest of their friends waiting for them.

"Did you get it?" Rollan asked urgently. Abeke nodded.

"Thanks to Tasha and Ninani." She said, smiling. Tasha couldn't help but blush at the small praise, and showed the vial, safely tucked into the deepest confines of her pack.

"Let's go then," Shane said, his yellow crocodile eyes gleaming brightly. "To the roots of the Evertree."

* * *

They walked on for what seemed like hours, trudging wearily through the dirt and gravel. The place was hauntingly empty and big, the smallest of noises echoing eerily through the caves. Tasha shivered, aand cold enveloping her, as they descended a flight of stairs that Shane had showed them, claiming that they led deeper down, closer to the Evertree's roots. From there, they would have to walk to the base of the tree, where the Wyrm was supposed to be.

The group walked out into a larger area, and Tasha could see thick, curling roots in the ceiling rock above. They had finally reached the roots. Further forward, she caught a glimpse of a large oozing polyp that had a massive crack cutting through its black, polished surface.

 _That must be the Wyrm's egg..._ she realised. Ninani squawked, looking uncertain and wary. Cabaro growled, and Mulop gurgled softly. The sight of the egg must have unnerved the Great Beasts.

"Hurry!" cried a sudden voice. Both Rollan and Abeke perked up at the sound of it, and Xanthe looked surprised. Shane whirled around, looking at their surroundings.

Where did the voice come from?

Then Tasha heard a tremendous scream, which actually sounded quite familiar. It sounded like the grindish they had encountered.

" _Takoda_!" The voice screamed again. There was a furious thwacking sound, and an ape's guttural bellow.

Takoda?

Xanthe gasped, and began sprinting to the cliffs nearby, Abeke and Rollan following her quickly.

Tasha wondered what was going on. Takoda... Wasn't that the name of the summonder of Kovo the Ape?

Did that mean...?

"Meilin! _Meilin_!" Rollan was screaming. He was crouched down at one of the cliffsides, waving desperately.

"Takoda! Up here!" Abeke called down, looking stricken with panic.

A wolf howled. A tremor shook the ground, and suddenly Xanthe threw a flare. It burst into a piercing light, and something screamed in pain. Tasha squeezed her eyes shut, feeling them burn. When she blinked them open again, Xanthe was lowering a rope that she had taken out from her pack, and shrieking like mad.

Rollan and Abeke were screaming too. There were responding shouts and a figure climbed up the rope Xanthe had lowered. Another person followed. There was a short pause, then the biggest ape Tasha had ever seen scaled the cliff, with a large wolf slung over its shoulder. Xanthe quickly pulled the rope back up, putting it back into his pack.

Tasha edged closer, curious. Now that she was closer, she saw that the first person was a girl with beautiful Zhongese features and black hair that was in a tangled mess. The other was a boy with a shaven head and had dark skin, but also had Zhongese features, which confused Tasha.

Both were wearing green cloaks.

The ape was a silverback gorilla, and Tasha caught sight of its eyes. Scarlet red.

The ape was Kovo.

She glanced at the wolf, and spotted brilliant cobalt blue.

Briggan.

That meant that they had been reunited with the group that had gone underground. Meilin and Takoda. But... Where was Conor?

"Meilin, Meilin! Are you alright? Answer me, please!" Rollan cried, his voice breaking. The Zhongese girl gasped, lying on her back, eyes closed. Then she opened them and slowly sat up, looking dazed. The dark-skinned boy too was already up, looking around in amazement.

"... Rollan...? Abeke...?" The Zhongese girl whispered, her voice wavering. Tasha noticed how gaunt and exhausted she looked, her cheekbones faintly visible through the skin. "Is it... really you...?"

"It is. Meilin... We..." Abeke said, and Tasha saw the Niloan's eyes begin to water. Then Meilin hugged them, looking about to cry.

"I'm so glad..." She sobbed. "I'm so glad you're alright..." Abeke and Rollan hugged her back, and they sat like that for a few moments longer, completely comfortable. No one said anything, not wanting to ruin the mood.

Then Meilin pulled back, and gazed at Xanthe. The Sadrean was kneeling beside Takoda, the boy looking relieved, a smile on his face.

"Xanthe..." Meilin said. The said girl perked up, then shuffled over to the Zhongese. She was suddenly enveloped in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're alive too..." Meilin said gratefully. "Thank you, for everything you did for us." Xanthe smiled and hugged back.

"It's fine." She replied.

Meilin pulled back again, and sat there quietly for a moment. Then there was a loud pop, and a giant panda appeared. A giant panda with calm silver eyes.

Jhi.

"What happened Meilin? How did you suddenly get chased by a grindish?" Rollan asked worriedly, releasing Essix from passive state. The falcon appeared with a screech and greeted Jhi with an affectionate nuzzle.

Kovo let out a grunt, making his presence known beside Takoda.

"It's... It's a long story." Meilin sighed. "So... that monster was called a grindish..." She shuddered involuntarily.

"Meilin," Abeke said suddenly, looking to the further end of the cliff. Tasha followed her gaze, and spotted Briggan. The wolf was seated there, his back to them, slumped in a defeated posture. He had been so quiet, Tasha nearly forgot he was there.

"Where is Conor?"

A thick silence fell. Tasha saw Meilin's lower lip quiver, and she lowered her head.

"Meilin, _where is Conor_?" Abeke repeated, her voice becoming strained. The Zhongese girl slumped even more, looking ashamed. Jhi let out a mournful noise, pressing herself close to Meilin. Takoda looked upset, a grieving expression on his face.

"Meilin, please. Answer Abeke. I want to know as well." Rollan said gently, touching Meilin's shoulder.

Then Meilin began to cry.

Tears dripped down her cheeks, and her thin frame shook. She sobbed and sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry," she choked. "I'm so sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Abeke said in a strangled voice. "Why are you sorry?"

"I couldn't protect him!" Meilin burst out, wailing loudly. "I couldn't stop him!"

"What do you mean?" Rollan cried out, eyes widening in horror. At the cliff side, Briggan turned his great head, ears flat, tail unmoving. Tasha saw the pain and sadness in those blue eyes of his.

"The Many... they took him away," Meilin weeped. "They took him away, shoved him into the cyrix's body," She stared despairingly at her friends. "He gave himself to them, Rollan, Abeke. He offered his own life in exchange for our safety."

"No..." Abeke whispered hoarsely, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

"You can't be serious." Rollan rasped, looking to the ground.

"I wasn't strong enough," Meilin went on, berating herself. Tears dripped onto the ground. "I wasn't able to protect him. I couldn't help him. I couldn't... I wasn't..." She continued to cry, hiccups rattling her chest. Rollan pulled her close to him, whispering soothing things into her ear, stroking her hair to calm her down.

Meilin sobbed into his chest, clinging to him. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"No, it's okay... It's okay... It wasn't your fault, Meilin..." Rollan reassured her, but his broken expression said everything. Abeke was crying silently, her lips pressed tight together, tears slowly rolling down her face.

Tasha watched, heartbroken, as the three friends huddled together to comfort each other.

Briggan continued to sit desolately at the cliff side, until Jhi waddled over to him, and Essix landed on his shoulder. It seemed that all of them needed comforting.

Conor had been taken.

The Wyrm had him in its hands now.

* * *

 _A/N Whoo! That's it guys. They managed to find the serum ;) But received some sad news ;-; The next chapter, we go to Conor's POV, and then Takoda's. Two POVs in one chapter xD Hope you enjoyed! Thanks everyone!_

 ** _Do review! I really love reading your thoughts on my updates :3 I hope my readers are still there ;-;_**


	15. 15 - DETERMINATION

_A/N Hey guys! I'm back! So in the previous chapter, Tasha and gang found the serum, and reunited with Meilin and Takoda. In this chapter, we go to Conor, who finds himself somewhere strange. Where could he be? There will also be a switch of POVs later on to Takoda, where he is with the rest of the group heading to the Wyrm. What will happen to them? Read on to find out! Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot._**

* * *

All Conor felt was darkness.

It pressed at him uncomfortably, soft whispers echoing in his head, sending chills running through his skin. He shivered, tremors shaking his body uncontrollably. His eyes fluttered open as he groaned softly, his body aching, blood running cold through his veins.

He felt stone as he painfully sat up from where he lay on the ground, his muscles screaming in protest. Conor blinked, his vision rather fuzzy, and rubbed his eyes. His sight cleared.

And he gasped, reeling back in shock.

All around him stood the Many, their white gazes never leaving him. They hissed softly as he stared fearfully at them, almost as if they were pleased that he was finally awake. Conor gulped, his eyes darting around.

Where was he?

The last thing he remembered was saying goodbye to Meilin, Takoda and Briggan, before the cyrix swallowed him up. He remembered just lying in the blackness of the monster's body, before exhaustion took him and he fell unconscious.

So where was he now?

A throb at his hip alerted him, and he glanced down at himself. He was dirty, his clothes hanging loosely on his thin frame. Slowly, he pulled up his shirt, wondering if there was a problem. The throb intensified, almost painfully.

It felt familiar.

Conor glanced at his hip, craning his neck to look. His eyes widened.

There, burrowed under his flesh, and slowly crawling up, was a _second_ parasite. Another throb at his cheek told him that the first one was still there.

He sobbed in defeat, fear rising inside him. Two parasites. Was that even possible?

 _Why were there two parasites inside him?_

Conor quickly tugged down his shirt, if only to avoid seeing the horrific sight.

 _Do you like your gift?_ came a sinister whisper, tone full of mocking and glee. The Wyrm. Conor squeezed his eyes shut, curling himself into a tight ball.

 _Why? Why did you put another one inside me?_ He asked the beast despairingly. Having one of its minions trying to control him was already enough. Now he had two.

 _Why?_ The Wyrm hissed. Conor felt its presence at the back of his mind, probing around. He grimaced. _Because I wanted to._

"Isn't one already enough?" He cried out in response.

Then there was a sudden jolt, and excruciating pain descended upon him. Conor screamed, his body convulsing. His head spun and ached, jerking with agony. It felt like he was being stabbed inside out.

Then the feeling went away, and he lay on the ground, whimpering, tears streaming down his cheeks. The sensation had been worse than before. Why?

 _When I have two of my servants inside you, the pain will be doubled. Enjoy, dearest Conor,_ the Wyrm cackled. Conor sobbed, pulling himself back into a ball.

The Many around him began to move away, leaving him alone, and it was then Conor realised that he was in a cell of sorts. Nothing but stone around him. There was a stone bed at the corner, with a small pillow, and a table and chair. There was even an old notebook on the table, together with a blunted pencil. That was all.

A prison.

Conor forced himself to get up, wiping away his tears, and he staggered over to the bed. He tripped halfway, and smashed against the chair. A jolt of pain ran up his arm as he tried to right himself back up, causing him to wince. He gingerly touched the spot where his elbow had hit against the edge of the table by accident. It was beginning to bruise.

He sighed, reaching the bed and sitting down on it. It felt hard and cold, which did not exactly help his current situation.

Conor glanced at the table, and picked up the notebook curiously. What was written inside it? He opened it up, and was surprised to see drawings instead. They were rough sketches, some already faded, but were still visible as the lines were clear.

He flipped through the pages, seeing pictures of a family, a city, a girl, a child. Animals.

Then suddenly, a picture of an egg. Conor tensed, realising it to be the Wyrm's egg. It was black, round, and without cracks. The last time he had seen the egg, it had been oozing thick liquid, and was broken at one end. But this picture showed a completely unharmed egg, which meant that it had been drawn before the accident with the Evertree.

Perhaps even earlier.

Curiosity piqued, Conor continued on. He recognised one of the images as the murals he had seen before in Phos Astos, with the fifteen Great Beasts surrounding the Evertree, and the egg at its roots.

A pang ran through him as he saw Briggan, brilliantly sketched, his eyes wide, head held high.

 _Briggan..._ Conor couldn't stop the tears that pooled in his eyes and dripped down his face. He touched his forearm, where Briggan's tattoo was supposed to be. But it wasn't there. His arm felt like it wasn't there either.

He had bullied his spirit animal. He had kicked him, forcefully used his powers. Conor could still remember the pain that was so clearly reflected in the wolf's clear blue eyes as he gave himself to the Wyrm. Could still hear Briggan's desperate howling, telling him to come back.

Instinctively, Conor reached out to his bond with Briggan. He could barely sense the wolf. Briggan was somewhere far, far away. Defeated, Conor let go of the bond, pushing it as far away from him as possible. As much as he longed for the companionship of his spirit animal again, he couldn't have the wolf running to him. Best to stay hidden, so he wouldn't bring anymore danger to his friends.

He just hoped that everyone was alright. _Meilin... Abeke... Rollan..._

Conor continued to look through the notebook, staring at the images. There was another mural, the one showing the Hellans as they separated, one half staying in Erdas, the other going down to Sadre.

Then he found something interesting. An image of a spear, claws, and a vial.

The artist had drawn them in a radiant light, like they were special items. The next page showed something even more intriguing.

A black, hulking figure with glowing eyes and a spiral above it. The spear from before was drawn impaled through it, the claws grabbing the creature and holding it in place. The vial had been drawn inside the black monster, and white veins spread from it.

The page after that showed the black thing being destroyed, and people cheering.

Conor tried to piece it all together. A spear... Claws... A vial apparently containing a white liquid... Those three together had destroyed the black beast...

He assumed that the monster was the Wyrm, since it seemed rather likely. But the items...

 _A weapon?_

Could it be that the spear, claws and vial, when combined together, was the weapon needed to destroy the Wyrm? Conor felt a surge of hope flow through his body.

Abeke and Rollan had found a part of the weapon, hadn't they? There was still a chance to destroy the Wyrm!

 _A weapon to destroy me?_ a voice hissed maliciously at the back of his mind. Conor froze. He had completely forgotten that the Wyrm could hear his thoughts. There was gleeful laughter as the Wyrm sensed his guilt. _Thank you for the information, dear Conor. I'll be sure to make good use of it._ A giggling hiss.

 _No!_ He screamed mentally, and swore at himself for being so careless. Now the Wyrm knew that his friends were gathering the pieces of the weapon together. Because of him, they were doomed. Then he remembered.

 _Don't you remember our deal, Wyrm? You can't use the Many, or any of your servants, to attack my friends. For a hundred hours._

There was a silence. _Ah... that deal._ Conor could nearly see the Wyrm grinning as it cackled again.

 _Unfortunately, I have no intention of keeping it._

Conor jerked as darkness swamped his mind, overwhelming him. He cried out, falling off the bed and clutching his head in anguish.

 _You should've known, dear Conor. I only made that deal with you so you could finally belong to me,_ It spoke, voice booming in his head. Conor screamed, thrashing on the ground, as the power of the Wyrm broke through his internal defenses.

 _How gullible you are, dearest Conor._

Conor shrieked, pupils dilating, one eye turning black as the darkness battled to seize control of him. He fought back desperately, trying to escape from the Wyrm's clutches. _No! Get away from me!_

Tendrils wrapped around him, squeezing him, and he struggled. He couldn't let the Wyrm control him. _No._ More fighting. Everything became a blur.

Then suddenly, the Wyrm stopped halfway, withdrawing slowly. It had almost devoured him completely.

But the effects had already kicked in.

Conor stared at his hands as he shakily sat back up, staring around in wide-eyed fear. He staggered to his feet, aware of the tears dripping down his face. He glanced at the notebook on the table, and was surprised to see an image on it.

An image of a boy, shackled, chained and beaten badly. But he had a maniacal grin on his face, and all around him was darkness. It embraced him tightly.

A darkness with red eyes.

 _Now dearest Conor,_ whispered a voice in his head, and he froze, frightened. _Do you have anything else to say about the deal?_

"Deal...?" Conor whispered. He paused, thinking.

"W-what... What deal...?"

He didn't remember making any deal, or arriving in what seemed like a cell. Where were his friends? Briggan? What was that voice in his head?

Conor couldn't remember. He only remembered that the war had ended. Kovo the Ape had been defeated. The Evertree had been reborn anew.

 _What deal?_

And in it's egg, the Wyrm grinned.

* * *

Takoda sat quietly beside Kovo, the ape merely sitting there as well. Everything was silent. The other children sat around him, their heads low, emotions conflicted.

At a corner, Meilin slept with Jhi, her face exhausted, red rings under her eyes from crying. Rollan sat next to her, watching her worriedly. Essix was in the skies, keeping watch.

Takoda glanced at Abeke, who sat at the edge of the cliff they were on, Briggan lying on the ground beside her. Both human and animal were slumped in a defeated posture. Particularly Briggan. The proud wolf looked like there was no more reason to keep fighting.

Because Conor was gone.

Takoda winced as he remembered how Conor had given himself in to save them from the Many.

 _For a hundred hours._

He sighed, shoulders slumped. Meilin had broken down when they had finally been reunited with Rollan, Abeke, and the other children, as well as the Redcloaks. Sobbing, wailing, saying that Conor being gone had been her fault.

That she hadn't been strong enough to protect him.

Briggan too seemed to blame himself for not stopping his human partner, his long tail dragging across the ground dejectedly, ears flat against his head.

Kovo grunted at him, his red eyes narrowed. Takoda shrugged. He hadn't wanted Conor to just give himself in. That was suicide. But he couldn't help thinking that perhaps, now they could move quicker.

And he felt guilty for it.

"Is everything alright?" Came Xanthe's soft voice. He turned to see the Sadrean girl coming to sit next to him. Takoda managed a weary smile. He had missed her very much, and felt a sense of happiness knowing that she was alive and well.

"Yes... It's just... We're all so tired. And Meilin..." He glanced at the Zhongese girl, who was mumbling incoherent words in her exhausted sleep.

"She is very tired." Xanthe commented softly, following his gaze. Meilin shifted, letting out a groan, and Rollan smoothed her frazzled hair gently, with an affection that Takoda had never seen the Amayan express. Jhi licked at the Zhongese girl's face with gentle care.

Xanthe sat beside Takoda in a comfortable silence, and Kovo grunted and knuckle-walked in circles, occasionally drawing things into the dirt.

With all the action and tensions happening over the past few days- maybe even weeks- the silence was rather gratifying. The other children were huddled at one corner, some napping, some whispering quiet conversations between them. The Redcloaks themselves seemed to be resting, though the man named Shane- or King- remained a stoically alert figure, on guard in case anything happened.

The rock hummed and dripped and whistled around them, an underground world of life that Takoda never really took note of till now.

It was then Briggan suddenly barked, jumping to his four feet, ears raised with alert, blue eyes wide. His tail stood frozen straight up, body poised.

"What is it Briggan?" Abeke asked, putting a hand in the wolf's scruff to calm him. Briggan relaxed, sitting back down on the ground, but he still sat tall, scanning the surrounding area around them.

As though searching for something.

"Mulop says Briggan sensed something." The girl known as Lina said, getting up. The orange octopus latched onto her back waved a tentacle.

"What sort of something?" Rollan asked warily, never moving from his spot beside Meilin.

Takoda stared at the Great Wolf. Briggan suddenly paused, then let loose a long cool howl that sent chilly tremors running through his body.

"Put a muzzle on that beast! He's risking us getting found by the monsters!" The Niloan boy, Kirat, snapped, getting up.

But Briggan kept howling, now on his feet, back arched, head raised high towards the sky. Essix shrieked back down at him. The wolf stopped then, and angled his great head to the east, staring at that direction.

Rollan blinked, and his gaze grew clouded. The gyrfalcon in the sky flapped further away, soaring through the air quickly. Another screech from her in the distance.

"Oh!" Lina suddenly gasped. Mulop gurgled, his green eyes bright. "Mulop says... Mulop says Briggan sensed Conor!"

At the exact same time, Rollan snapped out of his weird trance, eyes lit with excitement. "Essix found something," he gushed out, scrambling to his feet. "Something really important. I think it's where Conor's being held!"

Takoda was surprised. _Conor._ Briggan could sense Conor. Did that mean that the Euran was in danger? Or perhaps he had pulled on his bond with the wolf out of habit.

But knowing where Conor was being held... _They could rescue him._

Shane sat, the mask on his face hiding whatever emotions he was feeling. "Are you absolutely sure?" He asked, tone one of seriousness. Both Rollan and Lina nodded. The Recloak leader stood up, dusting his clothes.

"Then we should go. Conor might be where the Wyrm is," Shane pointed to the east of their cliff camp, at the giant, cracked polyp which was wrapped in tendrils of the Evertree's roots. "We can rescue him, _and_ finish off the Wyrm at the same time."

Rollan crouched beside Meilin's sleeping form and gently shook her. "Meilin, wake up," he whispered softly. The girl stirred, eyelids fluttering. "Wake up Meilin."

"Rollan...?" Meilin murmured groggily, blinking. Rollan helped her to sit up as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"We found Conor, Meilin. We know where he is." The Amayan said. That made Meilin jolt into full attention, jumping to her feet.

"Where?" Her voice came out cracked with hope. "Where is he?"

"Well, we didn't exactly pinpoint his location. It's just a guess, but we think he's where the Wyrm is, over there." Rollan said sheepishly, indicating to the east. Meilin frowned, then picked up her quarterstaff and pack, eyes blazing.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go." She barked glaring around.

"My thoughts exactly." Shane agreed.

Takoda stood up, admiring the new determination that was being displayed. Kovo snorted beside him, looking disgruntled. But Takoda knew the ape was pleased that they were finally getting a move on, judging by his restlessness.

Xanthe still sat, staring wide-eyed at everything happening. The other children got to their feet, buzzing like excited bees, some worried, some terrified, some determined like Meilin and Shane.

"Come on Xanthe. Let's go." Takoda smiled down at the Sadrean, offering her his hand. She smiled weakly back up at him, and shakily took his offered limb, standing up. Takoda could tell she was nervous.

"It's okay," he told her. "We'll all be okay."

Xanthe gave him a strained smile.

"I hope so."

* * *

 _A/N Well, that's the end of it. So Conor... er... ;-; He loses part of his memories ;-; But the reunited group are heading to the Wyrm's location, determined to kill the Wyrm and rescue Conor! In the next chapter, Conor's POV appears again, and after that we go to Rollan's POV. Terrible things are about to happen... including the appearance of the one man everyone hates! Thanks for reading guys!_

 ** _I am so so so sorry for the late update. Honest. I'm going to have my exams soon, so I won't be able to update very often anymore. But please, do review! So I know that you guys are still there and that will give me motivation to continue :')_**


	16. 16 - AWAKENED

_A/N Hey guys, I'm back! In the previous chapter, Conor... uh... Loses some of his memories! And Takoda and the rest of the group head to where the Wyrm is. In this chapter, things get more hectic. Conor's POV will be shown first, followed by Rollan. Read on to find out how they cope! Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot of this story, and Lina._**

* * *

Conor was panicking.

Where was he? Why was he so malnourished? And how on Erdas did he end up in a _cell_?

As he sat on the stone bed in the room, he glanced down at his forearm, and realised, with a jolt of panic, that Briggan's tattoo wasn't there. There was a lack of a giant wolf in the cell as well.

 _Briggan was gone._

And not only his spirit animal, his friends as well. Meilin, Rollan and Abeke. The Greencloaks.

Where were they?

 _What happened to him_?

Conor shivered in the dank coldness of the cell, and stared down at his calloused hands. His temple was throbbing, for some reason. And so was his hip. It was a lingering ache, and then he felt it. Squirming.

As though something was _there_.

And if freaked him out.

Conor felt lost. He tried to recall what had happened, but his memories were strangely fragmented- at one point, he would remember his carefree days as a normal shepherd, then he was fighting against Conquerors the next, followed by a strange vision of ghastly, screaming white figures and the coil of a black spiral, endlessly moving.

His memories felt... _incomplete._

There was something missing. Something important. Like a huge chunk of his memories had been wiped clean from his brain. Perhaps a clue as to how he wound up in a cell, and felt as though he hadn't eaten in _months._

And how he had been separated from his friends and spirit animal.

Conor reached out for Briggan, grasping around, searching for their bond. It felt strangely weak, almost like it would snap if he pulled on it too much.

 _Briggan!_ he called out, desperately feeling for the wolf's presence. _Briggan, where are you?_

He couldn't sense the wolf.

Another image of a pulsing spiral flashed through his mind.

Malevolent red eyes.

Conor froze, and he felt _something_ at the back of his head. _Something,_ slithering around in the depths of his mind. He shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself, and squeezed his eyes shut.

 _Come to me, Conor._

A sharp intake of breath. Conor's eyes widened at the sound of the lilting voice in his head. At first, he thought it was Tarik, their late guardian. Their protector. And then it sounded like his father.

And then Zerif.

 _It is time._

There it was again. Conor felt the hairs at the back of his neck rise, and he trembled with fear, unable to comprehend the fact that something was _speaking in his head._

"Who are you?" he whispered shakily, clutching at his head. "Who is speaking to me?"

 _I am a friend, dear Conor. I will help you._

"I must be dreaming," Conor said, surprised to hear that he actually sounded half-delirious. "This is just a dream. It has to be."

 _Oh, but it isn't. This is reality._

He clutched harder at his head. "Get out," he murmured, voice breaking. "Whoever you are, get out of my head."

 _We are bound together. I_ _am you, and you are me._

 _I will never leave._

Conor tried to block out the voice. He could hear whispers- hushed, soft, mysterious. A noisy clamouring in his head which he was unable to make sense of. He pulled his body closer to himself, breathing hard.

 _Help me, Briggan...! Help me, Meilin, Rollan, Abeke...! Where are you all?_

There came cackling. Conor flinched.

 _They have abandoned you, my dear child. They have tossed you aside, after your purpose has been fulfilled._

All at once, a barrage of images flooded his mind.

He saw Meilin, Rollan and Abeke laughing at him. Briggan, cobalt eyes dark with disgust and anger, loping away. Olvan, the Greencloak leader, stripping him of his Greencloak status.

And then he was running away.

Conor couldn't believe what he was seeing. The images had to be false. His friends wouldn't do that to him. The Greencloaks wouldn't do that to him. _Briggan_ wouldn't do that to him.

Not after everything they'd been through together.

 _Lies! All lies!_ he thought, biting his lip.

 _I do not lie, Conor. I found you unconscious, abandoned and injured, and brought you here. They thought you weak. A mere, cowardly shepherd._

 _But I've changed!_ Conor protested, feeling tears well up in his eyes. _I'm a Greencloak, and I always will be. I fought in the war against the Devourer. Against Kovo._

He felt dark tentacles latch themselves in his mind, and he froze. An agonising pain burst forth in his head and hip, and he screamed, tumbling to the ground.

 _Foolish boy,_ The creature in his head hissed. _You have been thrown aside. Discarded, like a broken tool. Understand that your_ friends _have left you._

Conor writhed on the ground, still screaming. He clutched at his head, tears rolling down his cheeks. His body shuddered and throbbed with an endless fatigue, agony engulfing him. He couldn't think- the pain was too much.

 _I am your friend, Conor. Your_ true _friend. You do not need anyone else, except me._

The pain was excruciating. His chest tightened- he couldn't breathe. Conor gasped, letting out strangled sounds, and his body crumpled further under the heavy weight of the pain that was ravaging through him.

The pain- where had it come from? He didn't know.

But one thing he did know was helplessness. Briggan was gone. Abeke, Rollan and Meilin were gone. The Greencloaks were gone.

He was alone.

And he was despairing.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard the resounding echoes of sinister laughter.

 _Relax..._

Everything suddenly fell silent. Conor twitched on the ground, sweat beading on his forehead. He gasped, and coughed.

He could feel something. Something burrowing its way through his flesh. A throb.

The darkness slipped in, and his vision grew hazy with black.

 _You are not alone, dear Conor. I am here._

 _I am the Wyrm._

"The Wyrm..." Conor murmured absently, shakily sitting up. He was no longer aware of the painful tears rolling down his sunken cheeks. No longer aware of the hunger in his stomach.

Only aware of the powerful voice in his head.

 _I am your friend._

"My... friend..." he echoed softly, standing up. He swayed unsteadily. There was the sound of scraping, and Conor noticed a white, hairless figure standing outside his cell, fiddling with the lock. Two words came into his mind: 'The Many'.

 _I will never abandon you, unlike those false_ friends _of yours._

The images of Abeke, Rollan and Meilin flashed through his head. Conor felt anger and hatred simmering within him at the sight of them.

 _I will grant you power. I will help you get revenge._

Conor clenched his fists tightly. Yes, he wanted revenge. He wanted power.

The darkness roiled in his mind.

 _Follow the servant, it will bring you to me._

The door opened with a metallic clang, and Conor staggered out. The servant- one of the Many- bowed to him.

 _Remember, dearest Conor,_ the Wyrm hissed. The cloud of black in his mind reached out and embraced him. He briefly saw a pair of malicious red eyes, peering at him from the shadows. _I am your 'friend'._

"Yes," he answered submissively. The Wyrm was a god. It was a divine being. As it spoke, Conor felt his worries melt away, leaving him in a peaceful, empty void. It was exactly what he wanted. Nothing to think about, nothing to be anxious about.

All he had to do was listen to the Wyrm, and he would live in bliss.

The servant grasped his wrist, and pulled him along. Conor stumbled, and followed obediently.

 _You will obey me, Conor. You will become my possession._

"Yes..." Conor repeated.

All he had to do was listen to the Wyrm, and everything would be alright.

 _Come, child. It is time._

 _It is time for us to become one._

* * *

Rollan's boots crunched on the gravel as he travelled quietly with the group, Essix soaring through the air. Meilin was beside him, with Jhi in passive state. Abeke was slightly further up ahead, talking quietly with Takoda, Kovo and Xanthe. The Redcloaks were spread out at the front and flank, with the other children behind him. Ninani waddled beside Tasha, and Mulop was at his usual position on Lina's back.

Only Cabaro was missing.

Apparently, Kirat had managed to put the Great Lion into passive state, much to Rollan's surprise.

Briggan was at the lead, loping forward, his cobalt eyes keen. They were following the wolf, who was apparently getting a better fix on Conor's location as they moved. He was sniffing around, his great head turning here and there.

"How are you feeling?" Rollan asked Meilin softly, glancing at her. The Zhongese girl blinked wearily at him, but her eyes glinted fiercely, with determined fire blazing within.

"I'm okay, but what's more important is Conor. We have to get him back." She stated, clenching her fists. Rollan touched her arm tentatively, and she offered him a weak smile in return. He could tell that she was tired from their whole ordeal, journeying from the entrance at the Petral Mountains all the way to where they were now.

He slipped his hand into hers, and squeezed tightly. She squeezed back, in a reassuring way.

Meilin's presence was comforting.

It was then Briggan stiffened, stopping in his tracks. His body was tense, ears perking up alertly.

Then Rollan heard the scream.

It sounded far off into the distance, a strange, unnatural sound. Then it grew louder, and Rollan heard pain.

And Conor.

Meilin's grip on his hand tightened considerably, so much so that it was trembling. He glanced at her. She was staring off in the direction of the scream, her eyes wide, lips pursed tightly.

In front of them, Abeke had a hand over her mouth, eyes as wide as Meilin's. She blinked, and her fingers curled into fists.

Briggan suddenly took off, bolting forward like a bazooka.

Essix gave a shriek from above. "Essix, follow him!" Rollan called, and the falcon swooped down lower, tailing after the wolf.

At his words, the startled group ran after Briggan, whose large gray form was beginning to become smaller.

"What happened?" Dawson squeaked as they tried to catch up to the Great Wolf.

"That scream earlier... it sounded like Conor," Devin replied, grimacing. Rollan winced at the thought of Conor in pain. That scream sounded horrible.

"Mulop says Briggan knows where Conor is now!" Lina exclaimed, breathing hard.

"We must hurry!" Shane called from the front, and the group quickened their pace, speeding past mountains of debris and rocks. Rollan glanced up, and saw Essix, soaring smoothly through the air. Then he spotted the Wyrm's egg.

Was it just him, or did it seem to be... shaking?

They ran for a few more minutes, before coming to a stop in front of a building. Briggan was crouched in front of it there, whimpering, looking lost and confused.

As Rollan eyed the building, Essix descended and landed on his shoulder.

The building itself was quite large, a crumbling structure of stones. The door hung on its hinges, and as he peered inside, all he saw were bars. Metal bars.

"This is a prison building," Xanthe said, looking surprised.

Briggan bounded forward, moving in circles, low whines emitting from his throat. Rollan stepped forward, and felt Meilin move too. Oh, right. They were still holding hands.

"That's odd," Lina frowned. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here."

"Was the wolf misleading us the whole time?" Kirat scowled. Rollan glared at the Niloan boy, and he fell silent.

"Is this where Conor's supposed to be?" Abeke asked quietly. Briggan slouched, still whimpering, his ears flat against his head, tail drooping.

"Briggan... can't sense Conor anymore." Lina gasped. Mulop gurgled sadly. Rollan started, staring at the Oceanus girl.

 _What?_

"He might still be inside," Abeke snapped, and strode forward. She kneeled down beside Briggan, stroking his head. The wolf looked defeated.

"I'll come with you," Meilin said, and let go of Rollan's hand, moving towards the Niloan girl.

"Me too," Rollan added quickly, running up to them.

"Be careful. You don't know what's in there," Shane warned, and the three of them nodded. They went in, and were greeted by darkness. Briggan padded beside them, sniffing about. Essix shifted uncomfortably on Rollan's shoulder, seeming uneasy by the blackness surrounding them. As they headed down the corridor before them, Rollan shivered, wrapping his cloak tightly over himself.

There was a creak, and the three of them jumped, brandishing their weapons.

"This is too scary," Rollan whispered. He didn't like this darkness. It made him feel claustrophobic.

"Some of us aren't afraid of the dark," Meilin said. Rollan frowned, then slowly reached up and poked the back of her neck.

The Zhongese girl flinched, whirling around, and her quarterstaff smacked against Rollan's face. Essix screeched angrily.

" _Ow_! Hey!" Rollan sputtered, clutching at his nose. Great Tellun, it hurt!

Meilin's face was hidden in the shadows, but he could tell she was embarrassed. "That's what you get for trying to frighten me," she huffed.

Rollan grinned. "So you _did_ get scared?" he teased.

He heard Meilin scowl. "N-no..."

"Quit it guys," Abeke snapped at them. Rollan could make out the shape of her bow in the dark, just in front of them. "Briggan found something."

Together, they followed the wolf, who had his nose to the ground. He must have picked up a scent.

Briggan lead them to a small cell, all the way at the end of the corridor.

The door was open, and it was relatively brighter than the other parts of the prison. The wolf went in, looking around mournfully, and pawed at the bed, jumping onto it. "What is it, Briggan?" Abeke asked softly.

Meilin was looking at the table that was near the bed. Rollan peered over her shoulder, and saw that she was staring at a book.

A sketchbook, by the looks of it. There were drawings on every page of the book as she slowly flipped through them.

"What is this?" Rollan asked, furrowing his brows. Meilin shrugged, touching the page with a drawing of a spear, claws and vial. Rollan realised that those three items were the parts of the weapon, which they had with them currently. His gyrfalcon blinked at the images, her amber eyes narrowed.

"Whoever drew this must have lived a long time ago," Meilin murmured, flipping another page and seeing an image of an egg, which resembles the Wyrm's own polyp. The egg in the drawing was unscathed, unlike the egg which was currently cracked and oozing a black substance. "He or she must have been one of the Hellans, to know how the weapon looks like."

Then there was a gasp from Abeke.

Both Meilin and Rollan turned, and saw that the Niloan was holding something. Briggan crouched on the stone bed, whimpering, his head low with grief.

"What is it? What-" Rollan stopped short when Abeke turned to face them, clutching something green.

A battered, green cloak.

Conor's cloak.

"He left this here," Abeke whispered softly.

"No way," Rollan winced, clenching his fists. "Conor would never leave behind his cloak."

"Something happened to him," Meilin gritted her teeth.

Briggan lowered his head further, posture guilty. "It isn't your fault, Briggan," Abeke urged the wolf. "He must have been held here temporarily, before being moved elsewhere."

"I have a guess," Rollan said grimly. "The Wyrm."

At the sound of the monster's name, the Great Wolf's hackles rose threateningly, a furious growl rumbling in his throat. Essix squawked, as if agreeing with his reaction.

"Yeah, we all hate it, buddy." Rollan nodded. He grabbed Conor's cloak from Abeke. "I'll keep it with me for the time being."

"Let's go, then. We can't keep the others waiting too-" Meilin said, but was cut off when urgent shouts reverberated through the air. They were coming from outside. Immediately, the three of them, along with Briggan and Essix, dashed out of the prison building.

"What's wrong?" Rollan blurted out the instant they came out into the open.

"The Wyrm's egg!" Xanthe cried out in horror, her eyes wide. She pointed to the distance, towards the direction of the polyp.

Rollan followed her finger, and gasped.

The last time he had seen the egg, it had been slightly cracked, oozing black liquid a little.

Now it was trembling, cracks growing bigger and bigger, splintering across the egg's smooth shell surface. Bellowing screeches resonated through the cavern as animals let out their cries.

"It's hatching," Shane whispered, fear in his voice. "The Wyrm is going to fully awaken."

He gestured for the group. "We must go up there immediately, and kill the Wyrm! Hurry!"

Rollan found himself sprinting up towards the hatching egg a moment later, with the rest of the group. Essix was back in the air, screeching loudly.

And she seemed rather agitated.

"What's wrong, girl?" he called up at his spirit animal, and she screeched down at him snappily.

His vision waned suddenly, and he found himself staring through the gyrfalcon's eyes. His stomach clenched as their bond stretched, the connection straining.

Waiting patiently, Rollan soon saw what it was that Essix wanted him to see.

And it caused his blood to run cold in his veins.

The Evertree above them gave a slight shudder, and their connection snapped, sending his vision spiralling back to his body and leaving him nauseous. He staggered, pushing down the bile rising in his throat. Meilin stopped beside him, as did the rest of the group when they realised he was far behind them.

"What's wrong, Rollan?" Shane asked, his yellow crocodile eyes narrowed behind his white mask.

"Zerif," Rollan choked out. "It's Zerif. He's here."

That crazy, oily psychopathic former-Conqueror just _had_ to arrive at the worst possible timing ever. He should get an award for it.

Rollan had seen the man charging through the area, heading towards the Wyrm's egg just like they were, at the moment. He had been seated on Dinesh, the Great Elephant, and beside him ran the rest of the Great Beasts that he had enslaved.

Uraza had been leading the pack.

And the entirety of the Greencloak army had ran behind him.

On cue, a rumbling sound came from the distance, and all of them heard the ferocious cries of spirit animals and humans alike.

"Oh Great Tellun, help us," Kaiina whispered hoarsely.

"Except, the _Great Tellun_ has also been enslaved by Zerif, who is coming to kill us all, if you must know," Kirat scowled bitterly. Beside him, Anda flinched, and shrunk into himself.

"This is no time for you to flaunt your superior attitude, Kirat," Rollan hissed, glaring daggers at the Niloan boy. "We have to go. _Now_! We don't stand a chance against the army Zerif's brought- we're literally outnumbered a thousand to one!"

There was a whole lot of jostling and panic as the children clumsily ran up the slopes, the Redcloaks quickly guiding them along.

"How-how did Zerif find us?" Abeke wheezed out as they sprinted.

"My guess would be that the Wyrm called him here. It knows we're coming to kill it, so it summoned him." Meilin gripped her quarterstaff tightly in her hand, lips pressed thinly.

"Zerif didn't seem like he had been controlled, though, when we fought him on the surface," Rollan panted. "In fact, it looked like _he_ was the one in control. It's like the Wyrm let him do whatever he wanted, not what it itself wanted."

"He must have followed us, then. With all those spirit animals under his control, it's no surprise he could have tracked us quickly." Abeke clenched her fists, a flash of pain in her eyes.

Right. Uraza. The leopard had been leading the pack.

 _Better not bring that up._

The group quickly headed up, up, up.

Towards the Wyrm's-

A great splintering sound ripped through the air, and Rollan flinched. Essix screeched in surprise above them.

Xanthe gasped, grasping Takoda's hand, as the Wyrm's egg split apart, and a hulking mass of darkness dripped down on the cliff above them. "It has awakened," the Sadrean girl murmured faintly, her face turning impossibly pale.

"The Wyrm has awakened."

Rollan scrutinised at the cliff, and the darkness stretched, black limbs moving fluidly. He saw hordes of white, naked creatures, and knew that they were the Many, waiting to serve their master.

The Wyrm let out a long hiss, and red eyes appeared as it moved to the cliff side.

A looming shadow was cast over the group, and Rollan heard several of the children gasp in fear.

The Wyrm seemed to smile menacingly at them, its eyes curving sinisterly, mockingly.

One of its dark tentacles reached behind it, and as Rollan wondered what it was doing, it pulled something gently towards the cliffside.

And Rollan saw Conor.

* * *

 _A/N That's it! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It seems rather rushed to me, but I hope it's still acceptable. In the next chapter, chaos will reign, and we'll have a short look through Kirat's POV, before going to Abeke. Thanks for reading guys! Stay tuned :)_

 ** _I really apologise for not updating for, like, half the year. I have no excuse for my tardiness. Please forgive me. I do hope that my readers are still there though. Do review and give me your thoughts._**


	17. 17 - KIRAT

_A/N Hey guys, I'm back! In the previous chapter, Conor... succumbs, and Rollan and gang reach the Wyrm. Zerif appears. Things will start to get ugly. In this chapter, we'll look at things from Kirat's view first, before switching to Abeke. Enjoy!_

 ** _Thank you to all my reviewers and readers who are still there! And thanks to Lionrulersroar for reviewing on every chapter of this story so far, oh my xD I really appreciate it, you flatter me too much! (Yes, Conor's personality is adorable. That, I agree wholeheartedly on.)_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot, and Lina._**

* * *

Kirat did not like how things were turning out.

Their little group was trapped between the Wyrm, and Zerif's Great Beast and Greencloak army. Between the two of them, he'd rather take his chances with neither. He glanced at the other children.

Kaiina's expression was one of pure terror.

Cordalles looked uncertain.

Anda, too, was terrified.

Dawson was holding onto Devin, fear written on his face.

Grif looked as though he was trying to calm himself down.

Anuqi had a rather grim look on her face.

Tasha was gripping onto her staff tightly, trying to look brave.

And Lina... Lina was calm. As always.

But either way, Kirat knew that the children were afraid. They were only _children,_ for Tellun's sake! There was no place for them in a war. There was no place for _him_ in a war.

They should not be fighting.

Instead, they should be getting away.

The screams and bellows of Zerif's army drew closer, and Kirat clenched his fists in anger. It was because the _Greencloaks_ couldn't get rid of that oily man in the first place that all this happened! And there they were, still trying to act heroic and mighty.

But now look at them. They'd been reduced to mere, thoughtless servants. Honestly, Kirat thought they deserved it.

 _And now I know why Father hated them so much._

Takoda and that Sadrean girl, Xanthe, stood near each other, holding hands. Ew. But his thoughts halted when his gaze landed on Rollan, Abeke and Meilin.

Three of the Heroes of Erdas.

Also children, apparently. They weren't even teenagers, and yet they've already been through two wars, the Second Devourer War and this one. Kirat felt a spark of jealousy at their bravery and their will to fight. He quickly stomped out those feelings.

 _We are too young to fight this. Let the Redcloaks deal with it._

 _The Wyrm is too strong. Too powerful. We'll never be able to beat it._

He eyed Rollan, tensing as the Amayan boy lifted his head, squinting at the Wyrm which loomed above them like a dark blob of terror and doom. How many times had Rollan lectured him on this journey?

Just because Tarik, his uncle, had been their protector and like a father to him during the Second Devourer War, didn't mean Rollan had the right to just scream and demand things from him.

He's _the spoiled brat,_ Kirat thought, scowling.

That was when Rollan flinched, his jaw dropping, face paling, and Kirat craned his neck up to see what it was that had shocked him.

Abeke gasped, and Meilin whispered a hoarse, "No..."

Above them, standing next to the Wyrm, was a boy. A Euran, by the looks of it, with his blonde hair and... strangely vacant blue eyes. One of the Wyrm's dark tendrils was wrapped around his wrist. Kirat frowned. He wondered if the boy was...

"Conor!" Abeke suddenly shouted. "Conor! It's me, Abeke! Are you okay?"

Right, of course it was Conor. The summoner of Briggan, the _leader_ of their little group of four.

Conor did not answer Abeke. He stayed silent, looking down at them with those empty eyes of his. What was wrong with him? Kirat scoffed, peering at the boy.

His blonde hair was a mess, his face gaunt and pale. It was painfully obvious that he hadn't had any food for quite some time. His body was pitifully thin, and he looked frail, like he could break at any moment.

 _He's their leader?_ Kirat wondered disbelievingly. He shook his head in disapproval. _Some kind of leader he is. He looks really weak._

Beside him, Lina perked, and swiveled her head to glare at him. Mulop gurgled at him, and smacked a tentacle over his arm angrily.

"What?" he snapped, moving away from the Oceanus duo.

"I heard what you just thought about Conor, Kirat," Lina fumed. "You have no right to think that. Especially not after everything he's been through."

 _Right,_ Lina had the psychic, telepathic powers, thanks to Mulop. Another twinge of jealousy, as he observed how close she and her octopus spirit animal had become. He and Cabaro were nowhere close to what she had achieved. Quickly, he stomped that thought down too, rolling his eyes nonchalantly.

Above them, the Wyrm was hissing. The Many crowded the cliffside, snarling and drooling and being disgusting.

"Wyrm, let Conor go this instant, or you'll be sorry!" Meilin was yelling, her glower fierce and sharp, fury burning in the depths of her eyes.

"Yeah, you oversized, black blob of goop! Let him go!" Rollan joined in.

The Wyrm gave them an amused grin. Or at least, Kirat thought it was a grin. Its body was so dark that he couldn't tell if it had a mouth. Only its curving eyes told him that it was making some sort of gleeful (or perhaps mocking) expression at them.

" _Ahh, but you're too late, children,_ " the Wyrm spoke, and Kirat froze at the tone of its voice.

 _Bloodlust_.

He heard bloodlust.

And pain, and death, and terror and despair and evil.

" _Show them, my dear Conor,_ " it cackled, red eyes glowing malevolently. Its eyes were even more terrifying than Kovo's own scarlet ones.

They were like blood.

 _Blood red._

Conor reached a hand to his forehead, and pushed up his bangs, while his other hand reached for the collar of his battered, torn shirt.

Simultaneously, Rollan, Meilin and Abeke gasped. So did the other children. Dawson let out a strangled noise, and Devin paled, eyes widening. Karmo gaped. The Redcloaks remained silent, tension in their bodies.

Smack in the middle of Conor's forehead, spiraling around, was the Wyrm's mark. Its parasite.

And when the boy loosened his collar and pulled it down, revealing his collarbones, Kirat inhaled sharply, a shudder of surprise and dread coursing through his body.

Another spiral, nestled between his collarbones.

Another mark of the Wyrm.

 _The Wyrm is too powerful,_ Kirat thought to himself.

Conor had fallen.

 _We are doomed to die in the end._

And Kirat watched as Conor's lips curved upwards, turning into the most sadistic smile he had ever seen.

 _It's all over._

* * *

Abeke couldn't find her voice.

She stared helplessly up at Conor's figure. At the spirals marking his pale skin.

 _No._

Two parasites. The Wyrm was taking measures to ensure that Conor would be it's servant. Permanently, even.

 _Poor, poor, poor Conor._

"What... What did you do to him?" Meilin screamed in a strangled voice after a moment. " _What did you do to Conor?_ " There was so much anguish in her tone. Abeke was certain that the Zhongese girl was beating herself up for not being strong enough to protect Conor. Blaming herself for the misfortune that had befallen their friend.

Rollan grasped Meilin's hand and squeezed, trying to calm her down. Meilin tightened their grip, breathing hard, her face contorted into an expression of rage.

Abeke clenched her fists, staring desperately at her friend. Conor met her gaze, and stared blankly, with not a hint of recognition.

" _I merely gave him a gift,_ " the Wyrm chuckled, pulling Conor closer to itself.

"Get away from him," Abeke snarled at it, fury bubbling within her.

The Wyrm gave them a taunting look, wrapping another tendril around Conor's waist. The boy didn't even react, standing still like a doll. Like a puppet, waiting for its puppeteer to pull its strings.

" _He is my possession now,_ " it hissed. " _And he forever will be, once we become one._ "

"What?" Shane suddenly exclaimed, his crocodile eyes wide with horror.

 _Become one?_

Abeke had no idea what that meant, but judging from Shane's reaction, it was definitely a bad thing.

The cries of Zerif's army approached, growing louder. She turned, staring worriedly into the distance, where a huge dust cloud was coming towards them.

" _Come now, dear Conor. It is time,_ " the Wyrm cackled, pulling Conor away from the cliffside. Away from them.

"Wait! Conor, it's Abeke! Conor, please!" Abeke begged, stepping forward, craning her neck to look at her friend. "Conor, fight it! Fight the Wyrm! Don't listen to it, please Conor!"

But the boy didn't react to her voice. He didn't even look back at her as he disappeared from her view.

A pang shook her heart, and she let out a sob, tears dripping down her face.

When Uraza had been taken from her, the same thing had happened.

Uraza had not recognised her.

Conor had not recognised her.

Uraza had not acknowledged her.

Conor had not acknowledged her.

The both of them had been taken from her.

The both of them were gone.

"Abeke?" Meilin whispered, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Abeke pulled herself together, trying to compose herself. Trying to stop the tears from flowing.

"We'll get him back," Rollan said grimly, determination blazing in his dark eyes.

"We _have_ to get him back," Shane said, still looking up at the cliffside. A few of the Many were there, watching them intently. "If the Wyrm becomes one with Conor, we won't be able to stop it anymore. It'll be the end of the world as we know it."

"What do you mean?" Abeke asked quietly, horror gnawing in her gut.

Shane faced her, his yellow eyes gleaming apologetically. "The Wyrm needs a host in order to draw its full power. And apparently, it had chosen _Conor_ to be its host. If it merges with Conor and takes control of him, the Wyrm will be complete, and it will have full power. Then _no one_ will be able to stop it."

Abeke felt all the hope drain out of her instantly.

"B-but we have the weapon, right? All we have to do is kill the Wyrm before it merges with Conor!" Dawson sputtered.

"It isn't going to be easy," Shane growled, glaring up at the Many above them, then at Zerif's approaching army. "We'll have to fight our way through to them."

Tension hung in the air.

"Then let's go, we don't have time to waste," Meilin snapped, brandishing her quarterstaff at the Many. "For Conor. For Erdas. For the world."

Abeke nodded, and was about to move forward when Kirat said, "Wait."

Everyone looked at him.

"Do you _seriously_ want to go against the Wyrm? It's too powerful. Besides, Zerif will be here any time soon, and we're no match against his army." The boy gazed at all of them severely. "Yet, you want to fight."

"We are the world's last hope. It's _only_ hope. What are you implying, Kirat?" Rollan growled.

Kirat glared at him. "What I'm saying is, wouldn't it be better to just _not fight_?" he spat. Rollan's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about? The whole world's in danger! And our friend needs us!" the Amayan protested.

"Forget about your friend, _our lives_ are more important," Kirat snapped. "We are only _children._ Look at them." He pointed to the rest of the Great Beast summoners, and Abeke saw fear.

Fear was written on all of their faces.

"We should be escaping, rather than trying to fight. This war is already lost. There's no more hope. Just let the Redcloaks fight. They'll die anyways," the Niloan boy scowled. The rest of the children stirred, glancing at one another uncertainly. Shane bristled, eyes narrowing.

"You-" Meilin hissed, but was cut off when Rollan put an arm in front of her, shaking his head.

"You _Greencloaks_ always think that you're the best. That all of your decisions are the right ones. But have you considered what others might think? You're forcing them to fight. You're forcing _us_ to fight, to fight a war we have absolutely no chance of winning," Kirat continued, glancing at the other children.

"He's right, in a way," Cordalles murmured.

"We never wanted to be a part of this," Kaiina agreed quietly.

"Zerif would still have taken your spirit animals, even if you didn't want him to," Rollan said. "There's no choice but to fight."

"There is _always_ a choice!" Kirat barked, his eyes smouldering. "And right now, I want to get out of here. _We_ want to get out of here." He looked at the rest of children. They glanced at each other, and nodded, agreeing with Kirat's words.

Abeke pressed her lips together, and glanced at Rollan and Meilin. Rollan had an unreadable expression on his face, while Meilin looked furious, but at the same time, understanding.

Zerif's army screamed behind them. The children flinched, and Kirat gritted his teeth.

"When we fought during the Second Devourer War," Rollan began softly, "we were just like you. Lost. Afraid." Abeke nodded, remembering when Zerif had first come to see her when she summoned Uraza, saying that she was needed. "I never wanted to fight in the first place, either. In fact, when I was first brought to Greenhaven, I tried to escape."

Meilin blinked, stunned. Abeke stared at Rollan. Had he really tried to escape from Greenhaven then?

"Conor found me," Rollan went on. "He reasoned with me. War would have come to me anyway, even if I did try to run away from it. So I stayed. And I fought."

"So? You could still have run away," Kirat growled, rolling his eyes.

Rollan's eyes hardened. "This is _war,_ Kirat. War cannot be avoided, especially when you are the one the enemy wants. Zerif wanted us to join the Conquerors, then. Now, he wants Cabaro," he snapped. He glanced at Tasha and Lina. "Ninani and Mulop."

He turned to Meilin, then to Takoda. "Jhi and Kovo."

He then gazed down at the Great Wolf, and Briggan stared back up at him in understanding. "Briggan."

A screech came from above them, and Essix descended onto his shoulder. Rollan ran a finger over her feathers, and drew in a shuddery breath. "Essix."

"Zerif has your spirit animals. Don't you want them back?" Rollan asked the children.

"Of course we do," Anuqi whispered, her expression forlorn.

"I never even got to _touch_ Arax," Grif muttered, looking down at his hands.

Kirat stayed silent, his expression unreadable. His eyes flickered from the children, to them, and Abeke wondered if he was beginning to understand.

"You still have Cabaro, Kirat. He is your spirit animal. Your partner. Your companion. You are bonded to him. Why not you call him out?" Rollan pointed at the Niloan boy, his gaze steady.

Kirat scowled, and rolled up his sleeve, revealing Cabaro's tattoo, stretching from his shoulder to his elbow. He touched the tattoo tentatively.

But the Great Lion did not appear.

"... I'd rather give Cabaro up in exchange for my life," Kirat grumbled, seeming embarrassed as his dark skin flushed.

"... I can see why you and Cabaro were bonded together," Rollan said after a moment. "You're both cowards."

Kirat's eyes flashed angrily. "How _dare_ you call me a coward! I don't need Cabaro. Zerif can have him for all I care." He turned his nose upwards haughtily, looking down at Rollan. Abeke clenched her fists. That's Kirat alright. He was terribly spoiled. But...

Rollan sighed, as if tired of all the chatter. Meilin gazed at him, and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Perhaps we've been too controlling of Kirat," Abeke whispered to her friend. Rollan stared at her, surprised. "He's lived a good life. His father was an influential person in Nilo. And Tarik was his uncle," Abeke went on. She gazed at Kirat, who was talking to the other children in a hushed voice.

"Kirat was born to be a leader."

Rollan closed his eyes, and Abeke saw him finger the edge of his cloak. Tarik's old cloak.

"You're right," he sighed. "I suppose he deserves a little more... credit." Abeke smiled, and Meilin gave her a thumbs-up in approval.

"Kirat," Rollan tried again, after composing himself. Essix rubbed her head against his temple, urging him to go on. He dug a hand into his pocket, and pulled out a pendant. Abeke blinked. Where did Rollan get the pendant from?

When she looked closely at it, she realised that it was a bronze oval.

Kirat was staring at the pendant, confused. "This was given to me by your mother, LaReimaja. It's been passed down her family from generation to generation." Rollan touched the pendant, and his expression wavered. "She wanted me to give it to you, when we were still at Zourtzi. She told me that it symbolises life."

Kirat's face softened.

"You said you wanted to be a leader." Rollan held out the pendant to him. "Like your father was. Like Tarik was... the man you were named after. Your uncle."

"And you _are_ a leader. You were born to be one. Your uncle died fighting Zerif to protect the world. Your father fought to protect _you._ And now, it's your turn," Rollan said loudly, giving the boy a small smile. "Fight, Kirat. Fight to protect them, to protect yourself and Cabaro, to protect the world." He gestured at the other children.

"Like you said, they're afraid. They need a leader to guide them. _You_ can be their leader. You _are_ their leader. They will listen to you, because all of you have experienced the same suffering, the same pain, the same hardships. You _know_ them." Rollan's eyes gleamed.

"And they know _you_."

Kirat reached out, and took the pendant from Rollan. He stared at it for a long moment, silent. Thoughtful. Then, he hung the pendant around his neck. "Very well," he whsipered, then turned to the children.

"I apologise for earlier," he started quietly, touching his bicep, where Cabaro's tattoo was. "I spoke of escape, when it was obviously too late to escape." He turned, and faced the growing, massive dust cloud in the distance which was Zerif's army. The children stirred, uncomfortable.

"It is okay to be scared. I... I am scared too. All of my actions, my scorn, my nonchalance... It was all to cover up my weaknesses. My fear." He clenched his fists. "But now is not the time to be afraid. We must fight. For our spirit animals, for our families, for the world."

The children murmured amongst one another, and Abeke saw a few of them nod their heads.

"Zerif ruined our lives. He took everything from us. But now, we will take back what is ours. We will get back what we've lost from him. And we will prove to him that we are not a bunch ordinary, frightened children!" Kirat said boldly, and raised his fist to the air.

"We are the summoners of the Great Beasts! And we _will_ take back what is rightfully ours." He gazed at all of the children, his eyes glinting, determination burning in their depths. "Are you with me?"

"Yes!" the children yelled.

"We will fight!" Kirat thundered, raising his fist higher.

"We will fight!" the children echoed.

"And we will _win_!" Kirat roared.

The children cheered.

A flash of light, and suddenly Cabaro appeared. The Great Lion stood next to his partner, and tossed his great mane. He glanced up at Kirat, and the two gazed at each other for a long moment.

"We will fight," Kirat repeated softly. He reached down, and tentatively touched Cabaro's head, running his fingers smoothly through his mane. "And we will win."

The Great Lion threw his head back, and let out a powerful roar. The rocks shuddered around them, and Zerif's army responded to Cabaro's challenge, releasing furious shrieks and screams.

Tasha and Lina glanced at each other, and smiled. Mulop gurgled happily, while Ninani merely fluffed her feathers, gracefully nodding to Cabaro.

Takoda squeezed Xanthe's hand, grim determination on his face, and the Sadrean girl beside him looked to him knowingly. Kovo beat his chest, letting out a guttural roar, echoing Cabaro.

Abeke smiled, and nudged Rollan. "That was a good speech you gave him," she said.

Rollan shrugged helplessly. "To be honest, giving speeches isn't really my style," he huffed.

Meilin suddenly leaned forward and pecked Rollan lightly on the cheek. "Well done, Rollan. Tarik would have been proud," she said, smiling shyly, and the Amayan boy gaped at, reaching up and touching his cheek.

A blush dusted his face as he looked away, coughing awkwardly, and Essix poked him in an almost teasing manner. Jhi let out a grunt which sounded like a snort of laughter. Even seemed to Briggan smiled, the first time after Conor had been taken-

 _Conor._

Remembering Briggan, Abeke turned and looked up at the cliff where the Euran and the Wyrm were. She took in a deep breath, calming herself.

"Like Kirat said, we will fight," she told Meilin and Rollan, facing them. "And we will win." They nodded, staring up at the cliff.

"Then we'll have to get moving now," Shane spoke. He and the Redcloaks had been silently spectating the entire time they had been arguing with Kirat. Abeke wondered what Shane was thinking currently.

Shane caught her gaze, and Abeke blinked at the intensity within his crocodile yellow eyes. "Redcloaks!" he called. The Redcloaks around them tensed, awaiting their leader's next command.

"Prepare for battle!" Shane, ' _King_ ', roared.

The Redcloaks let out resounding battle cries, Devin and Karmo following them, lifting their weapons to the air.

When Abeke turned to see Zerif's army once more, she realised that said man was seated on Dinesh, leading the charge.

No, wait.

A sleek figure dashed in front of him, purple eyes gleaming with a dull light.

 _Uraza._

Uraza was leading them all.

Abeke stared at the leopard. _Her_ leopard. A familiar pang struck her chest, and she unconsciously pulled on her bond, only to remember that their connection had been severed.

Completely.

Meilin noticed her pained expression, and patted her shoulder. "We _will_ get her back from Zerif, no matter what."

Abeke nodded, wiping her face. No crying. They had to stop Zerif, and the Wyrm before it merged with Conor.

Before they lost the Euran to it. Possibly forever.

There came the stomping of hooves, and birds screeched from the sky. "Zerif has come," Shane said quickly. "Move, now! To the Wyrm!"

Abeke looked to Rollan and Meilin, and nodded to them. They smiled back at her, Meilin brandishing her quarterstaff, Rollan whipping out a dagger and twirling it in his hand. She glanced back up at the cliff. Where the Wyrm was.

Where Conor was.

"It's time," she said, pulling out her bow, "we saved our own leader."

* * *

 _A/N That's it guys! I... I don't really know what I just wrote here, oh god. Well, a little talk with Kirat, Zerif's coming to destroy them, and now they fight. Next chapter, we start off with Conor's Wyrm-possessed POV, then move on to Shane's POV! Wow, I'm actually quite excited to write from Shane's view. Anyway, that's all I have for now! Stay tuned to the next chapter! Thanks for reading everyone! ;)_

 ** _Do remember to review, guys! It gets me a lot more motivated to continue writing quickly ;3_**


	18. 18 - KING

_A/N Hi guys, I'm back again! After two days, wow me x'D In the previous chapter, the group had a talk with Kirat. Zerif approaches, and the Wyrm is going to merge with Conor and use him as its host. In this chapter, we start with Conor's view, then move to Shane! Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Animals. Only the plot, and Lina._**

* * *

Empty.

That was how Conor felt.

Empty.

But peaceful.

As he stared at the Wyrm, no, his _master,_ before him, he couldn't help but think of how majestic it was. Every dark tendril thrummed with power, and it was beautiful.

The Wyrm was almighty.

It was his salvation from the world which had abandoned him. His saviour.

The Wyrm hissed, and its red eyes glowed, in an almost ephemeral way. Conor felt the desire to serve. Pure devotion made him kneel before it, and he had the urge to please it, in whatever way possible.

He would kill for it.

He would die for it.

He would give up his life, his soul, his body, just so that he could see it approve him.

His forehead throbbed, and his love for the Wyrm intensified as it approached him. Slowly.

" _It is time,_ " it said, and Conor heard its voice resound in his head, booming, mysterious.

 _Enchanting._

" _You belong to me, dearest Conor,_ " the Wyrm spoke, leaning towards him. Red was all he could see as its face filled his entire view. " _I am you, and you are me._ "

"I am you, and you are me," Conor repeated softly, gazing at the Wyrm. So much power.

So much beauty and grace and elegance.

 _So much peace._

" _We will be together, forever._ " The Wyrm smiled, and Conor was struck.

"Forever," he breathed out, voice hushed with reverence.

The prospect of being able to be with the Wyrm _forever_ filled Conor with an indescribable happiness. He was _special._ That was all he had ever wanted in his life.

To be with the Wyrm _forever._

" _We will be one,_ " the Wyrm hissed, grinning, its red eyes shining. It was so beautiful.

"One..." Conor whispered dreamily.

That was even better. He was going to become _one_ with the Wyrm. He was the one it chose.

The chosen one.

Now, they would truly be able to stay together forever.

The cries of war snapped Conor from his daze, and he turned to the cliffside. He saw several of the Wyrm's other followers, his companions, standing there, peering down and hissing. Of course. There were people who opposed the Wyrm.

Conor frowned as he remembered the dark-skinned girl who had screamed at him from below the cliff. What was her name again? He felt like he knew her.

Abigail? Annabelle? Abel?

He wasn't quite sure. But the girl's name was of no importance.

The only one important was the Wyrm.

Its safety was important.

Conor wanted to protect it.

" _Do not worry, my dear Conor,_ " the Wyrm said in a slithery voice. It put a tendril on his shoulder, and pulled him towards it slowly. Other tendrils started to wrap themselves around the rest of his body. " _You can protect me, by becoming one with me. You can protect me, and you can kill all that stand in our way._ "

Conor stared at the Wyrm, his desire to serve burning stronger than ever. Yes, he could protect the Wyrm.

He could protect it by killing all of their enemies.

The darkness seeped into him, and he felt coldness. But that didn't matter.

All that mattered was the Wyrm.

" _Come, my child,_ " the Wyrm chuckled, hunger gleaming in its red eyes as it stared down at him.

" _It is time for us to become one._ "

* * *

After the Second Devourer War, Shane had wanted to redeem himself.

He had wanted to correct his mistakes, had wanted to make up for the crimes he had committed. His sins.

He had wanted to show the world that he could change, that he _had_ changed.

He had wanted to show Abeke that he had changed.

 _Abeke._

As they ran up the path, Shane glanced at the Niloan girl, who ran ahead of him, with Rollan and Meilin. Her braids flew behind her, and in her hand, she held her bow. She had always been good with a bow.

Better than him.

Better than any other archer he knew in the world.

She was the best.

He recalled the times he had spent with her when he first met her. She had been his first friend. A beautiful, strong, and kind friend.

Her laughter was like music.

Her smile was like the sun.

And it didn't take very long for Shane to realise that he was actually in love with her.

In love with _Abeke._

One of the four Heroes of Erdas. Summoner of Uraza the Leopard. A Greencloak.

His first friend.

All that ended when Shane betrayed her. Betrayed her trust. Betrayed her everything. And Shane had never felt so heartbroken. It was worse than when Drina, his sister, died.

He had felt like he could just kill himself, so the excruciating pain in his chest would disappear.

He clenched his fists, touching the scales on his arms.

When Shane had revealed himself to her after escaping Zourtzi, he had seen distrust in her eyes. Suspicion. Hate. Even a slight fear, as she took in his new, changed, reptilian-like appearance. And his heart had ached.

She had not forgiven him for what he had done back then.

 _And she never will,_ he thought sadly, as he gazed at Abeke's back. _Especially not with me looking like this._

 _I look like a monster._

Any chance of her loving him back had been wiped away after his betrayal.

And it hurt. So much.

 _But I will prove myself to her, no matter how long it takes,_ he thought firmly. He clenched his fists, feeling rough reptile skin. _I will show her that I have changed. That I want to help._

 _That I am good._

He quickened his pace, hearing the cries of Zerif's army coming closer and closer. He heard growls, howls, screams, screeches, grunts, and a loud, bellowing trumpet.

Definitely Dinesh the Elephant.

The children ran behind him, running as fast as their legs could carry them. His fellow Redcloaks flanked them, guiding them along, encouraging them.

They had to reach the Wyrm before it merged with Conor.

To be completely honest, Shane did not like Conor. He felt that Conor deserved whatever fate befell him at the hands of the Wyrm. He did not like Conor's humility. He did not like how Conor believed so much in the Greencloaks and justice.

He definitely did not like the way Conor looked at Abeke.

Everything about Conor made Shane feel jealous. And bad about himself.

If he was right, Abeke saw Conor as a brother. Something which Abeke had never seen in Shane when they had... still been friends.

It really made him feel very, _very_ jealous.

And he could tell Conor did not particularly like him too. It was pretty obvious from the way the Euran had glared at him back in Arctica, when they had been trying to get Suka's Crystal Polar Bear talisman during the Second Devourer War.

Still, they had to save Conor from the Wyrm. If they managed to do it, Shane was certain Abeke would trust him again.

... A little.

That was when Shane heard Stead, his second-in-command, cry out a warning, and he looked up to see Halawir the Eagle diving down at them.

Particularly at Rollan.

Essix shrieked, just as Shane shouted, "Look out!" and shoved the Amayan boy out of harm's way. Rollan yelped in alarm, stumbling, and stared wide-eyed at his gyrfalcon, who was locked in a furious, feathery battle of beaks and talons with Halawir.

Ninani squawked, and flew up to assist Essix.

Halawir released a piercing screech.

Cabaro roared, and pounced on Uraza when the leopard suddenly appeared, baring her teeth.

Shane saw Abeke inhale sharply, a pang in her eyes as she stared at her possessed spirit animal. He clenched his fists, turning around and glaring as Dinesh came into view, and riding atop him was Zerif.

The powerful, cunning, former Conqueror who used to serve under him.

He, and his army, had arrived.

"Well, look who we have here," Zerif said slyly, giving them a mocking grin. The bird battle above them came to a halt as Halawir retreated, landing on Zerif's shoulder. Uraza stalked by Dinesh's side, a lowl growl rumbling in her throat.

One by one, the controlled Great Beasts appeared. Suka and Arax came forward, followed by Rumfuss, who stomped and grunted. Gerathon was coiled around Zerif's neck, her tongue flicking in and out. Tellun galloped forward, and stood imperiously with his head held high.

The children who had their spirit animals taken from them gasped. Some of them looked about to burst into tears.

A girl came forward, and Shane recognised her as Raisha. The one who had assisted Zerif in capturing the Great Beasts he currently had, only to summon Gerathon and end up under his control as well.

Cabaro snarled at them, and Kirat stood beside him, readying his sword. Tasha and Lina brandished their staffs, Mulop gurgling furiously, and Ninani descending to Tasha's side gracefully.

Essix landed back on Rollan's shoulder, screeching madly, her feathers ruffled.

"Go," Shane hissed to the three Heroes of Erdas. They blinked at him, astonished. "We'll take care of them here. Go and save Conor. Save your friend."

"But-" Meilin began, her eyes narrowing.

"He _needs_ you," Shane interrupted quickly. He motioned for Stead, Tasha and Lina. Before them, Zerif narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and the controlled Great Beasts moved forward, staring at them with hollow eyes.

"Give them the weapon parts," Shane told the three, and they quickly handed the weapon parts to Rollan, Meilin and Abeke. Zerif's eyes were widening with realisation. "Now go!"

"Shane-" Abeke started, staggering as he pushed them.

Shane paused, staring at her. " _Go_."

Abeke fell silent. She reached out, and touched his shoulder tentatively.

And then the three of them ran, Briggan loping ahead of them. Zerif roared in outrage, and his army charged. The Redcloaks jumped in, letting out vicious caterwauls, and met the Wyrm-possessed stampede head-on.

"Why did you send them away? We need all the help we can get, King," Stead asked, his body tense.

"There's no time to fight. We must stop the Wyrm from merging with Conor," Shane responded, unsheathing his sword. He could still feel Abeke's touch lingering on his shoulder. "Only they can stop it. Only they can save him. So we will buy them time."

And with that, Shane charged.

* * *

Conor felt light-headed.

The world around him spun, and he gasped softly.

The Wyrm chuckled, in an almost maniacal manner, as it dragged him towards it.

Forward.

Forward.

 _Forward._

They were so close to each other. So close that Conor could touch it.

Dark tentacles latched themselves onto his skin, and one of them caressed his face. Conor felt loved. He smiled, staring up admiringly at the beautiful face of the Wyrm.

The Wyrm loved him, as much as he loved it.

 _A dream come true._

One of its tentacles touched his lips, and his vision suddenly waned. The darkness roiled within him, contaminating his soul, his heart, his everything. He felt a throb in his chest, and his forehead ached quickly after.

A sudden twinge of pain in his head.

But all that was of no importance.

Only the Wyrm mattered.

Only the Wyrm.

The _Wyrm._

Conor breathed out softly, and felt a shudder run up his body as the Wyrm met his gaze with its red one.

It was the embodiment of power and grace.

The tendrils around him suddenly pierced into his skin, and Conor gasped in pain, grimacing. But he ignored it, keeping his eyes on the Wyrm. He trusted it with his entire being.

The Wyrm was a god.

 _His_ god.

Suddenly, one of its tentacles slipped into his mouth.

A jarring pain, and he screamed. Distantly, he heard cries of horror, and a pleading shout.

The darkness engulfed him.

And Conor knew no more.

* * *

Shane was struggling.

"Do not let any of Zerif's army get through!" he yelled, and grunted as he lifted Tellun by the horns. The Great Elk kicked in the air, eyes bulging, and Shane swung him away, throwing him at Suka, who had been advancing at poor Anuqi.

"We must buy some time for Rollan, Meilin and Abeke to reach the Wyrm and finish it!" Shane thundered. His Redcloaks roared from where they fought.

Kirat was locked in combat with Olvan, the Greencloak leader, Cabaro dealing with Olvan's moose. Everywhere around them were animals and controlled Greencloaks.

Rollan had been right.

They were severely outnumbered.

Stead and Worthy were defending the path up to the cliff where the Wyrm was, tackling down any enemy who tried to get through.

Ninani had to deal with all of the flying spirit animals, considering Essix was with Rollan. But she and Tasha were working together, with Ninani swatting the birds out of the sky, and Tasha knocking them unconscious with her staff when they dropped, trying to regain their balance.

Shane felt a sense of pride, seeing the children fight so hard.

But he had to focus.

For the world.

For _Abeke._

Then, there was Dinesh, charging towards him. Shane readied himself, bunching his muscles. And as the elephant collided with him, he grabbed his trunk and pushed back with all of the crocodile strength he had.

His feet dug into the dirt as he was forced back, and Shane roared, shoving back harder.

Dinesh trumpeted angrily.

Breathing hard, Shane yanked the elephant's trunk, pulling it to the side. Zerif shouted, and Dinesh stomped, trying to regain his balance.

Shane pulled on Dinesh's trunk, sweating, and with a yell of triumph, flung the elephant over his head, and smashed him on the ground.

The ground cracked under the force of the blow, and Dinesh was left lying on his back, legs splayed out awkwardly. He gave a feeble grunt, waving his feet about.

Zerif had jumped off at the last minute, and stood scowling at Shane.

"You're a tricky one," he hissed. Dinesh disappeared in a flash of light, having been called back by his new _master._ Gerathon coiled around his arm, her fork-like tongue flicking in and out, and Shane grimaced.

There were shouts as Stead and Worthy faced off against a group of Greencloaks, and Rumfuss the Boar. Devin and Karmo had joined them, and were battling against a couple of other Greencloaks and their spirit animals.

Lina whacked her way through the hordes of enemies, her staff whirling, her movements aided by Mulop's power. She was a powerful fighter on her own, and her octopus was letting out ferocious gurgles, tentacles smacking those who sneaked up behind her.

Tasha had managed to take down several of the spirit animals in the air, and was currently back-to-back with Shadow, locked in combat with Arax and a dozen Greencloaks. Ninani squawked, enraged, as she scuffled with a few other surviving birds, and Halawir.

Anuqi and Grif were fighting Suka and Tellun with Howl and a few other Redcloaks, the two Great Beasts having recovered from their collision.

The rest of the other children were assisting each other as they battled a group of Greencloaks and their spirit animals, as were the remaining of the Redcloaks.

They were doing well, for now-

Wait.

Shane looked around urgently.

Where were Takoda and Xanthe?

There was a lack of a Niloan-Zhongese boy, a Sadrean girl and a giant ape with scarlet eyes on the battlefield.

He growled, frustrated. Where had they gone-?

There was a flash of yellow at the corner of his eye, and Shane turned, only to see Uraza pouncing on him. He caught her front paws in his hands, staggering under her weight, and tossed her to the side.

He didn't want to harm the leopard any further than necessary.

Uraza was Abeke's spirit animal.

If he severely wounded her, or _killed_ her, Abeke would never forgive him. And he would have no chance of redemption.

 _Redemption._

"Look at you, _boy_ _,_ " Zerif sneered. Uraza prowled nearby, growling, and Gerathon slid to the ground, raising her slender body and hissing.

A flash of light once more, and Dinesh reappeared.

Very much upright.

"You are pathetic," Zerif spat. His lips curled into a cruel smile.

"I am not a _boy_ , Zerif," Shane spoke softly. He reached up, and removed his mask. Zerif's eyes widened by a tiny fraction. "I am a _king_."

Zerif barked out a harsh laugh. "A _king_? How ridiculous. The only king here is _me_!" He pointed at Shane.

"Kill him," Zerif snarled.

Uraza leaped, and Gerathon slithered across the ground towards him. Dinesh released a frightening trumpet call, stamping his feet.

Shane charged, caterwauling, and he slammed against Uraza. The leopard yowled, her claws striking him, and he hissed as his scaly skin was nicked. Gerathon zapped towards him, and he managed to grab her neck before she landed on him as he rolled on the ground with Uraza, fighting out.

He tossed the snake aside, and leapt to his feet, dodging as Dinesh stomped over to him.

Fighting three Great Beasts was difficult.

His gaze settled on Zerif, and they stared at each other for a long moment.

 _Kill the master._

Shane roared, challenge burning in his eyes, and he ran at the former Conqueror, fist pulled back. Zerif smirked, and their fists clashed.

Thuds resounded as they exchanged blows, and Shane growled at Zerif. "You'll never win, Zerif," he snarled, sending a right hook at the man's face.

Zerif blocked it with his arm, and threw an uppercut. "Oh, but I _will_ ," he laughed haughtily. Shane grabbed his hand, and pulled the man towards him.

That was when a strangled scream rang through the air, shrill and agonised. Shane flinched, and whirled around, facing the cliff where the Wyrm was. The scream sounded like the one they had heard earlier, before Zerif had arrived.

The scream which had lead them to the prison building down below.

 _Conor's scream._

Shane's eyes grew wide.

Did that mean that Abeke, Rollan and Meilin had done it? Or...

A sudden pain in his thigh and Shane looked down, only to see Gerathon, with her fangs sinking into his flesh. He cried out, yanking the vicious snake off and swinging her away. He clutched the wound, his vision starting to grow hazy as Gerathon's venom spread.

Shane swore.

Zerif approached him, chuckling. A maniacal smile lit up his features and the spiral of the Wyrm pulsed on his forehead.

Shane glared at him, breathing hard. His chest constricted, and he fell to one knee, gasping.

Around him, the Greencloaks had started to overwhelm his Redcloaks, and the Great Beast summoners.

Tasha screamed as Ninani plummeted from the sky, one of her wings badly injured, and Halawir soared around in the air victoriously.

The Greencloaks surrounded Lina and Mulop, and Kirat and Cabaro had been backed into a corner by Olvan, his moose and a couple of other Greencloaks.

The other children yelled as they were overpowered by the sheer numbers of the Greencloaks and their spirit animals.

 _No._

"Redcloaks!" Shane cried out hoarsely. His vision was starting to fade. "Protect the children! Do not let Zerif get them, and the remaining of the Great Beasts!"

His Redcloaks responded with roars, and they battled through the Greencloak army, grabbing the scattered children.

Shane staggered to his feet.

 _I will fight._

He charged once more at Zerif, ignoring the stabbing pain in his thigh, ignoring the shaking of his hands and his waning sight.

 _I will fight._

Zerif stumbled back, surprised, and Shane collided with him. He threw punch after punch after punch at the man's face, and Zerif screamed at his army to get him off.

The Greencloaks moved towards Shane, and Shane screamed.

"Run! Get the children out of here!"

Greencloaks grabbed at his arms.

"But King, you-" Stead protested.

" _Run_!" Shane shrieked at his second-in-command. "Find Abeke, Rollan and Meilin! Help them to kill the Wyrm!"

The Wyrm was not dead, Shane realised that now. Zerif still had the spiral on his forehead. The Greencloaks and Great Beasts were still controlled.

The three Heroes of Erdas would need all the help they could get.

Stead wasted no time in ushering the children up the path to the cliff, where the Wyrm was. The other Redcloaks beat back any Greencloaks who tried to get to the children.

Shane stumbled, standing in front of the path.

Blocking Zerif's army.

 _I will fight._

"You will fight me? In such a state?" Zerif scoffed.

Shane managed a weak smirk. "Yeah. I can take you down easily, even like this," he taunted. Zerif's eyes flashed.

"Get him!" the man commanded, and his Greencloak army swarmed forward.

A moment of pure, animalistic instinct, and Shane was batting Greencloaks aside. He roared, and his cry echoed through the air. The controlled Great Beasts howled and stamped, charging at him.

A burst of adrenaline.

The world blurred around him, and he was barely conscious of the fighting around him. He was vaguely aware of him slamming something yellow on the ground, and grabbing antlers. He flung horns, and wrestled with scales.

An image of Abeke flashed through his mind.

 _I will fight._

 _For Abeke._

Demanding screams, and a loud trumpeting.

Something grey slammed into the side of his head.

The world whirled.

The darkness engulfed him.

And Shane knew no more.

* * *

 _A/N So much fighting wow. That's it guys! Shane seeks redemption, and what exactly happened to Conor? In the next chapter, we go to Meilin's POV, as they try to reach the Wyrm and Conor before it's too late. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!_

 ** _Do remember to review, guys! I'd like to hear your thoughts :)_**


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